Prelude To War: Arrivals & Meetings
by Mary the Filker
Summary: Sequel to Prelude To War: Musings & Conversations. Various people, including Harry, arrive and meet at Hogwarts and elsewhere to begin pulling together for the Second War. Ships not a focus a few OCs. AU as of HBP too much backstory to change.
1. Arrivals & Meetings, various

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels.

PRELUDE TO WAR--ARRIVALS & MEETINGS 

I.Arrivals

The party from Privet Drive arrived at the Headmaster's Office in good order. Dumbledore then summoned some House Elves to take Harry's trunk and cage to a guest room, and more to set a small dinner in the Headmaster's private meeting room.

While the others went to sit in the meeting room, Harry remained, and looked around the office. There were fewer, and some different, trinkets around; but the furniture appeared to have been repaired. Several of the portraits of past Heads looked at him with disapproval, remembering his last, destructive visit. He looked back, gulped a little, and spoke up.

"Sirs and Madams, I am really sorry for the trouble I caused in June. I was truly angry with grief at seeing my Godfather…killed before my eyes, and almost totally lost control. Headmaster Black, I am truly sorry that the last Black is now gone; there is little I would not do to get him back, if I only could. But I don't know how to get anyone back through the Veil, or if it's even possible." He took another deep breath. "I have promised Headmaster Dumbledore to try to manage my temper a little better; it's just that the situation that night was really bad."

Headmistress Dilys Derwent smiled. "We understand, now; Albus spoke to us about it. You were not in your right mind, and you could have done far worse. For our part, we forgive you."

Headmaster Armando Dippet also smiled. "This was a very gracious thing to do, to apologize to portraits! Too many young people give us no credit for feelings."

Harry smiled back. "I don't believe in hurting anyone's feelings, if I don't have to. None of this is your fault, and even if you can't suffer as mortals do, it's still not right. I'm glad you're not still mad at me."

Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black glared a little, but it wasn't a harsh glare. "So long as you realize that your behavior was abominable, despite the provocation. You seem to have done so, and for our part it is past and done. For my own part, I regret the pain you suffered at losing my descendant." His painted visage looked the other way. "I suggest you go into the other room; dinner awaits you, and your Professors should not be kept waiting."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry replied, and headed into the meeting room, where a generous spread awaited the diners.

Half an hour later, all four Wizards were feeling much better. "Thanks," Harry sighed. "I thought for certain I'd be ordering in food for us, or having you conjure some, at the house." He toyed with the last bite of cake.

"What kind of host would I be if I starved my guests?" Dumbledore inquired mildly. "In any case, it is getting late; Professor Snape and I have a Heads of House meeting tomorrow morning, and we could all do with a good sleep." He stood. "Off you go, then; you will be in Remus' suite for now. An additional bedroom has been installed for you." His guests all left; Snape toward the dungeons, Lupin and Harry in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. On the same level as the Common Room entrance, they went around the corner the other way, and down a corridor Harry had rarely used, as it didn't go anywhere he normally went.

The two stopped before a painting of a forest scene. Only a pair of gold eyes appeared in the shadows of a tree. "Ho lukos, brother," Remus said quietly. The eyes blinked, and the painting swung back to reveal a comfortable sitting room.

"'Ho lukos, brother'?" Harry inquired.

"It's Greek, Harry," Lupin replied. "It simply means 'the wolf'; that is a wolf hiding in the shadows. I thought that would be enough for the summer." The two proceeded in further, to a short hallway with two doors on one side and one on the end.

"Here is yours, Harry," Remus said, indicating the first door. "Mine is on the end and the bath is between us. Your things should already be here."

Harry was now completely exhausted, pleasantly full of good food, and happy to be with one of his favorite people. He had also managed to vent some of the terrible pressure earlier in his room; after Snape had left, Lupin had simply held him until the tears would no longer stay in. The fact that the older man had started crying first had been the final push to set Harry's tears flowing. Somehow, it had managed to relieve some of the stress with which the day's events had overloaded him. When he saw the comfortable bed awaiting him, he fell into it and was asleep almost instantly. For once, the nightmares left him alone.

II.Meetings--Heads of House

After breakfast the next day, Lupin and Harry went back to their rooms to sort through Harry's things and determine what he would need to replace. During the packing at Privet Drive, Lupin had gotten a serious look at Harry's clothes, and had decided that the oversized hand-me-downs were fit only for rags and exercise clothes. A trip to Gladrags in Hogsmeade seemed to be called for, so that Harry could have decent clothes for once in his life that weren't Weasley jumpers or school uniforms. Also, their morning was free because Dumbledore and the House Heads were meeting right after breakfast.

"Thank you for coming, as Severus said, so early in the summer," Dumbledore addressed the four House Heads. They were gathered in his office, with plates of snacks and cups of tea within easy reach. Fawkes dozed on his perch. The portraits of the past Heads were watching or dozing quietly.

Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall of Gryffindor replied first. "You're welcome—or you will be, when you tell us why."

Dumbledore nodded. "As I told Severus on Friday, these are not usual times, and the usual procedures will not be adequate to our needs. We are now at war, Ministry or no, like it or not; and the war _will_ impinge on us here at Hogwarts. I know that most of Tom Riddle's Inner Circle is now in custody; I believe that he will succeed in breaking them out again, now that the Dementors have left Azkaban. When he does, he will start planning raids and other actions. It will not be instantly; the events at the Ministry last month have delayed his plans. But act he will, sooner or later."

He looked from one to another. "We have a short respite. We must make use of it to strengthen this school so that it is in fact as well as legend the safest place in the Wizarding world. Our first mandate is the safety and security of the children entrusted to us. They are our future; without them to follow us, the Wizarding world will decay to nothing. At the same time, however, some of them are already fighting in this war, and more will be; we must strengthen them as well as this institution. We must be a place of refuge and support for all who need us. We cannot personally defend each and every student; but we can teach them, as we have already done, to defend themselves or others. More: we must give them choices, and give them every means to make choices that are good for them, even if they go against family wishes or other expectations.

"I have several ideas in mind, which I would like to discuss with you. The first involves the perennial problem of the Defense post. This year, I thought to try something different: I will give in, at least in part, to Severus' apparent craving for the post; I will let him take the three upper years; they are used to him after four or more years with him in Potions, and can take his training. For the four lower forms, I have rehired the best and most popular Defense teacher we have had in the last eight years: Remus Lupin. I have guaranteed that his special needs will be met, and that competent substitutes will be found for the Full Moon days. For that matter, we could likely get student teachers for the First and Second Years; they did a more than adequate job with the extra Defense groups."

"And just _how_ are you going to convince the Board of Governors to let him back in with his lycanthropy?" asked Herbology Professor Pomona Sprout of Hufflepuff. "Don't get me wrong: I adore Remus, he's a real gentleman and does well with the young ones. And he really _is_ the best of what we've had lately."

"Easily: I have had more letters, including from some of the Governors, asking me to rehire him than I had demanding that he be fired last time. As he resigned rather than be fired, it will not be difficult. After the Umbridge fiasco, I find my ability to get concessions from the Ministry and Governors to be quite good right now; I do not intend to waste it. _No one_ wants a repeat of last year!"

Charms Professor Filius Flitwick of Ravenclaw nodded. "I have no argument there. I honestly don't see how anyone could be worse than that creature, short of You-Know-Who himself, and he would at least know the subject. After her, Remus looks positively golden! However, that still leaves Potions. Who will take those classes, if Severus is sharing the Defense post?"

"I intend to let Severus continue with the upper-level Potions classes as well as the upper-level Defense classes. There simply _is_ no one better. For both subjects, he will also have independent study mentoring as and with whom he sees fit. For the lower forms, I have asked Severus to look for a suitable person: either a new Master or Journeyman, or a retiree, who will be willing to be his subordinate. Severus will still be the Potions Master. This new hire will also help with the extra routine supply brewing, perhaps with the aid of suitable advanced students; for some time, I have thought it unfair that Severus should have the entire burden alone. I wish, this year, to use him where his greater talents are most needed, including specialty brews such as Remus' Wolfsbane Potion, and let the routine matters be handled by those with adequate competence."

"What do you mean about 'extra' routine supply brewing?" Sprout asked. "I know that he brews most of my fertilizers and nutrient potions, as well as most of Poppy's supplies; this saves us I don't know _how_ many Galleons in supply costs, to say nothing of the fact that his are better than the commercial grades."

"Why, thank you, Pomona, I _do_ believe you are trying to flatter me! Just what _are_ you trying to wheedle out of me this term?" Severus Snape turned a slightly wicked smirk in Sprout's direction. The others laughed at the sight of the dour Slytherin actually almost flirting.

"Oh dear, Severus--no more than you already give me every year," she smiled back, almost coquettishly. "The best of everything, of course--what more could a Witch possibly want?" That response drew more chortles from the others; it was not often that Sprout met Snape on equal terms in a battle of wits!

Dumbledore smiled, waited until the chuckles had died down, and then said, "In answer to your question, I intend to be fully stocked with everything we may need for emergencies. I do not consider it out of the question that we could be attacked, and I do not intend to lose anyone to inadequate medical supplies. As Pomona said, Severus' brews are far better than those we can get on the open market. I also intend that the student supplies for the Potions classes be fully stocked, well before the beginning of term; we may be having a Potions review course this summer for those who need it. Severus will take that, if we do, and if the student brews are useful, we will keep them.

"Next, I intend to add further to the courses and the staff. I have had many comments over the years about how we have courses in Muggle Studies, but not an equivalent in Wizarding Culture. This is especially needed for the Muggle-born and Muggle-raised students who are still hitting gaps in their knowledge that their Wizard-raised fellows take for granted. I intend to fill that gap with a required course for the lower forms, and an elective for the upper forms. In all forms of both Wizarding Culture and Muggle Studies, a student may opt to test out of it if they already have adequate knowledge of the subject. I will ask for your recommendations for a professor for that subject; please let me know by the end of next week, so that I may start asking around.

"I also intend to strengthen the staff chain of responsibility. To that end, I intend to appoint a Deputy Head for each House. For Minerva, this will free her for more of her duties as Deputy of Hogwarts; for Severus, this will give his students someone to be there when he is away on Order business, as he will be. For Gryffindor, and I do realize that giving it to a new hire is not usual, I intend to appoint Remus Lupin; for Slytherin, Serena Sinistra; for Hufflepuff, Rolanda Hooch, who will be adding to her duties the added subject of Physical Health and Training; and for Ravenclaw, Anna Vector. If any of you objects, say so now, so that I may select someone else."

Flitwick nodded. "I think they are all good choices, personally. There are more students from my House in Anna's classes than from any other, so they already know her fairly well." The others assented.

"That was indeed one factor in my selection. I tried to select someone who would be a good fit for each House," Dumbledore replied.

Sprout looked thoughtful. "Albus, just what _are_ you worried about?" she asked. "I don't see how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named could possibly free his Inner Circle a second time, even allowing for having no Dementors at Azkaban any more."

"He will," Snape said. "He must, if he is to start any major action this year. There are only three of the Inner Circle left free, and they are not enough to train sufficient recruits." _And I truly dread having to conduct training missions for him._ He shook off the what-ifs there; too many possibilities, most of them bleak, and none of them to do with the current point of discussion.

"I wasn't arguing that; I was just wondering _how_ he could, when it's finally obvious that he's back and even Fudge can see it," Sprout replied.

Snape sighed. This year was not going to be a good one, he knew. "That, you are going to have to ask _him_, as he has not told me. But enough money in the right places can do far more damage than all the spells we know. Fudge must act quickly to execute the ones who had already been convicted, such as the Lestrange brothers, so that if an escape is made, it will not be of as many. But I highly doubt that he will."

He looked from one fellow House Head to another. "I will tell you this, so that you will not be shocked: the Dark Lord _will_ be recruiting here, and not just in my House, or just in the relatives of his followers; there will be Sixth-Years who come of age as well as the Seventh-Years. Do not discount the possibilities of the Fifth-Years; and any student of any age can at least give information. There is also a faction that will be recruiting here that is not beholden to the Dark Lord, but despises Albus and his support of and by Harry Potter; that is the Ministry faction from which Umbridge came. This last may be even more dangerous, as they are law-abiding citizens who are against the Dark Lord—but don't want Albus in charge, or with any influence: they just want to rule for their own benefit, and that benefit is for Wizards and Witches only. If you thought Umbridge and her Werewolf laws were bad, this would be more of the same and worse."

A silence fell over the group. All of them remembered the First War; all of them could imagine a Ministry full of the likes of Umbridge as well. No, all was not well in the world, and it was they who would have to arm their precious students for it.

Dumbledore broke the silence. "The next item I wish to bring up for consideration is the state of the Castle itself. I have been here as Professor or Headmaster for over fifty years, and there is still much that I do not know about Hogwarts itself. You four are next in the line of responsibility, and you know even less. For this reason, I intend to do a serious remapping of the entire castle, with a view to plugging security gaps. Having secret escape tunnels is not bad, but not if your enemy knows of them too. At the very least, we are going to have to block the tunnel from the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack; it is known to at least one Inner Circle Death Eater. Then, there is the Chamber of Secrets. It is possible, verging on probability, that Tom knows far more than is good for us about it. I intend to have it explored thoroughly."

""But how can we get in?" asked Sprout.

"Unless we use Fawkes to gain entry, the only entrance that I personally know of is only accessible to a Parselmouth. Fortunately, we have one available to us who is loyal to the Light, and that is Harry Potter. He can get us in; we can deal with the rest. I do not wish to discover too late that there is another entrance."

"How are we to do this during the school year?" This was from Flitwick.

"I do not so intend; secrets are harder to keep with the school full of students. He will be available this summer whenever we need him," replied Dumbledore calmly.

"But surely he is now at home at his relatives' place?" inquired McGonagall.

"He _was_," Snape corrected. "He is now here at Hogwarts, or rather was; he and Remus Lupin are out in Hogsmeade shopping."

"When? And why didn't you tell me?" McGonagall was surprised, and not pleased that Snape knew of it before her; she was Harry's Head of House after all.

Snape glanced at Dumbledore, who nodded a fraction; he was to continue. "Since last night. Friday, both the Headmaster and I received long and highly interesting letters from Mr. Potter, which practically demanded that they be discussed in person. We went to his Muggle home, with Remus Lupin, yesterday morning. However, in the midst of our discussions, an incident in his house occurred involving the Muggle police; in the course of managing that, Mr. Potter not only showed uncommon ability, he also evoked some responses from his relatives that showed us that his home situation was not…all that we had believed it to be. We decided, with Mr. Potter's consent, to remove him from there permanently."

McGonagall glared at him. "That is _not_ very specific, Severus. I take it he is not severely ill or injured?" At her colleague's headshake, she added suspiciously, "And since when did _you_ take an interest in his well-being?" McGonagall was very protective of her Lion Cubs; Harry's feud with, and mistreatment in classes by Snape were legendary.

Snape was not intimidated in the least; his voice crackled in one of his more pointed classroom lecture tones. "Since, first, he wrote _me_ a letter that was more intelligent, coherent and to the point than most of the essays he has written for me in five years, and was done without the assistance of Miss Granger. Since, second, that he realizes just what his part in the War truly is, and realizes that he needs help to do it: he not only asked _me_ for help, he understands what _I_ am doing, gives it more importance than I thought him capable of, and appears even to actually give a damn about whether or not I will be able to continue. Since, third, I saw, with Albus and Remus, just _how_ little support he was getting from his relatives—not, mind you, that he asked for any, only to be left alone—at a very difficult time for him, when he is finally resolving to seriously study and learn, to the level you have told me he is capable of. Since, fourth, he has voluntarily offered, for good reasons, to settle the family issues between the two of us in a manner befitting an adult Wizard, and I have accepted. Is that enough to go on with?"

McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout were all stunned. The unresolved feud between James Potter and Snape had colored Harry's entire scholastic career. To see it come to such an abrupt termination, without their having to scrape either Harry or the Professor—or both—off the floor and walls, was shocking.

Meanwhile Dumbledore sat back, his eyes twinkling with much amusement. For once, it was Snape getting one over on the other three, and being righteous besides. At the same time, however, the Slytherin was actually revealing much more of himself—his real self, not his snarky-bastard image--than he realized. Oh, things were moving in very interesting patterns! When the others turned as one to him for an explanation, he was ready and willing to give it. All four of his House Heads were in the Order now, after all; he had inducted Flitwick and Sprout just two weeks ago.

"It is exactly as Severus has told you. We three--he, Remus and I--went to visit Mr. Potter in answer to the letters that Severus has mentioned. Whilst we were discussing the various points therein, his Uncle entered and obliged him to come down and talk to the Muggle police about some matters for which Harry was being blamed. In the course of the subsequent discussion—which of course, we listened to in secret—we discovered that his relatives had been treating him rather worse than we had been led to believe; this included lying to their neighbors that Harry had been attending a school for criminal delinquents, as a cover for his Hogwarts attendance."

McGonagall was now angry; she and Dumbledore had argued this very point many years before, and sometimes since then. "I was right! Did I not tell you, that night when we left him there, that those were the worst sort of Muggles, not fit to raise their own son, let alone Harry?"

Dumbledore was unmoved. "And I agree that you were right; I also reiterate what I told you that night: that it was the best of several poor choices we had, ranging from mediocre to dangerous." He took a deep breath, and continued. "One of the points that Mr. Potter raised in his letter was asking for more training and study opportunities for which his relatives cannot possibly support him; he had also badly underestimated how well he was forcing down the pain of his very recent loss. I do not say 'coping with'; he was not doing that at all. That he managed a difficult situation with the Muggles as well as he did, under these conditions, impressed all three of us. But it became obvious to us that having to endure the conditions of his home life would soon outweigh the protections of the Blood Charm. Therefore we removed him from there last night and brought him here, where he shall remain for a time." Dumbledore paused for a moment, then continued. "His aunt and uncle have also signed over their guardianship to me; I intend for him to have a new guardian soon, hopefully before his sixteenth birthday at the end of the month."

"So, where do you intend to place him?"

"I have not decided yet. I cannot keep him myself, although I would be honored to; I have too many conflicting obligations. Remus cannot, owing to the Werewolf laws, although any guardian Harry has must accept him as part of Harry's family."

"Arthur and Molly would take him in a heartbeat!" McGonagall pointed out.

"And they would be the best for him, if this were peacetime. Unfortunately, the Weasleys and their home are much too obvious targets as it is. Besides, while they love him dearly, and Molly would certainly give Harry the mothering he has so sadly lacked in his life, she would overdo it and try to smother him. She has not yet come to grips with the fact that he is _not_ a child any more and cannot be protected from the responsibility that awaits him. It is here, and no amount of protection will make it go away. I do intend to discuss this with Arthur and Molly, so that Harry will have someone to turn to other than his new guardian. Harry is also in too much pain--which he is trying, and failing to entirely push away--to go to Headquarters yet. I have thought of a better plan, however, and will discuss it with the principal later this week. Until then, he will be staying here, in a room in Remus' quarters. Needless to say, the fewer who know of this, the better." All four nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore took off his glasses, polished them with his sleeve, and then put them back on. "The fact of his removal from Surrey makes possible another idea. For some time now, Argus Filch has been complaining that he is overworked. The new precautions, mappings, and preparations will give him even more to do. Therefore, I thought to add another Caretaker, and bring in Arabella Figg and her cats."

"Why 'Bella?" asked Snape.

"Four reasons." Dumbledore ticked them off on his fingers. "First, she is also a Squib, and therefore would not breed the resentment in Argus that a Witch or Wizard caretaker would. Second, she is in the Order, as he is not, and can go places and do things to which he would not be privy. Third, her cats can patrol where we cannot go, much as Mrs. Norris does now; they may even make good company for her, and there are more of them—somewhere between ten and fifteen, last I asked. One of our dire War-related concerns is the spying capabilities of a certain illegal rat Animagus with a silver paw; they can sniff him out better than we can." He had no idea of how oddly right he would later prove to be. "And fourth, she is far more humane than Argus is. While he does present a fear factor that can prove useful, he can go too far; I am quite concerned about how willingly he supported Umbridge, alone of nearly everyone on staff here. On the other hand, his knowledge of the castle easily matches my own, and that of very few others alive; we need it."

Flitwick shrugged. "Well, Albus, you _are_ Headmaster. Can you simply not _order_ him to help us with the mapping project?"

"I fully intend to, but I do not intend him to be my sole source of information. I also intend to borrow a remarkable artifact that was created by students here, twenty or so years ago, in the hopes of being able to make another, better one."

"And that is?" Flitwick encouraged.

"The 'Marauders' Map'. If I can borrow it from its current owner, I think we can make use of it to create another. We will have one of its creators on staff, after all."

"You mean that's real?" Sprout's eyes were wide.

"Indeed it is," Snape replied dryly. "I have seen it for myself. Unfortunately, it will not work properly for anyone except its creators and those to whom they gave the password--and I am not one of those."

Dumbledore smiled. "I think I can persuade the current owner to let us make use of it for the greater good of Hogwarts." Only Snape did not look a little puzzled; he knew who owned the Map, and who had made it.

McGonagall was thoughtful. "Albus," she said quietly, "you seem more than usually concerned with castle security."

"I am. There have been several recent events, as I mentioned, that make me concerned that Tom's setback in the Ministry--and it was a setback, make no mistake--is only temporary. Sooner or later, he _will_ come here. We _must_ be ready."

"Why here, and not the Ministry?" asked Sprout. "Seems to me that the Ministry is what he needs to beat if he really wants to rule Wizarding Britain."

"For several reasons," Snape put in. He leaned forward and laced his fingers together. "Besides the fact that much of the core of the resistance to him is here, he wants Albus and Harry Potter dead, and the rest of the students as either recruits or hostages. While he believes me to be an entry point here, he will not depend solely on me; after all, I am mortal and I can be killed or turned. He _will_ cultivate other agents; and he _will_ use all the knowledge that he acquired as a student here, including the Chamber of Secrets, as Albus mentioned, which he likely knows too well for our safety."

"Indeed, Severus is totally correct," Dumbledore said quietly. His voice then intensified, as if he were back in the classroom. "In order for Tom to attain the rule of Wizarding Britain, he must do two things: he must take, suborn or neutralize the Ministry, and he must take or suborn Hogwarts; we will be too much of a thorn in his side if we hold out. He cannot take Hogwarts while I live, and I intend to see to it that he cannot even if I am dead. He is also determined to destroy Harry; the events of this last month will have only made him that much more determined. This is why Harry has decided to advance his training; he knows all this, and he also knows that he is the one destined to destroy Tom; he wishes to do so as soon as he can be made strong and skilled enough to do so."

A silence fell over the room. "Albus, is this to do with that prophecy about the seventh-month child?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes. That prophecy is what Tom spent so much effort to obtain. He knows the first part that the Order knows; he wanted the rest. It was destroyed that night. However, I did tell Harry the rest of it then; this is part of what has crystallized his resolve. Unless Tom takes either Harry or me alive, he cannot find out the rest. I will not tell it all, but Harry is the one who must destroy him; unfortunately, the reverse is not ruled out. If we of the Order are to defeat Tom's forces, Harry must be enabled to destroy Tom, then do so, and as soon as may be; or else the Second War will last far longer and cost many more lives than the First." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and was still for a few minutes.

Pomona Sprout finally broke the silence. "What do you wish of us, Albus? You know we will support you in anything you need for this school and our children."

Dumbledore's eyes opened, and he sat back up. "First above all, to continue to do your best, as you four have always done. Pomona, I wish you to look into easily-triggered plant-based ground defenses, such as a quickly-growing Strangle Vine, that can be triggered by any student over Third Year. No one younger than that should be in any battle line unless we are all dead. Minerva, I would like you to find out if there are any other secrets of the Founders we should know; surely, Salazar Slytherin was not the only one to leave something behind. Filius, I would like you to refresh both your flying skills and your dueling skills; while Madam Hooch is a superb flyer, she is an indifferent dueler. Perhaps you can work with those of the staff whose skills are poor, and bring them up to speed at least enough to fight and get away; I think they will take training from you better than from any student, no matter how good. Severus, you already know what is asked of you; I have every confidence that you will exceed my expectations, as usual." Snape bowed his head a fraction, and then nodded.

Sprout shook her head sadly. "We should not have to treat the finest school in Wizarding Britain as a castle preparing for siege. These are _children_, Albus, and we should be teaching them to _live_, not preparing them for war!"

" 'Si vis pacem, para bellum,' Snape said quietly. " 'If you wish for peace, prepare for war.' The Muggle Roman general Vegetius said that, and it became the motto of their Legions. Granger and Potter had a good idea, but all four Houses must be involved, and students down to the First-Years. There are too few of us on staff to defend them all. We _must_ make this school impossible to take, or we will lose this entire generation, as we lost so much of mine." A thought struck him. "Albus, if you wish, perhaps we should renew our Oaths as House Heads? Would that help?"

"Actually," Flitwick picked up the idea, "there are many rituals and bindings that have fallen into disuse in these easier times, some of which date back to the Four Founders. I think that would be a worthy research project."

"In our copious spare time," McGonagall added dryly.

"Indeed," Dumbledore returned. "This is why I intend to take up another of Mr. Potter's suggestions: to form a Junior Order, for students not yet of age but already committed to the effort, for whatever reason, and who have skills we can use. Arguably, the finest researcher in the current crop of students is Miss Hermione Granger; this particular topic would certainly fascinate the biggest fan we have of _Hogwarts: A History_. She is certainly one to be a member of such a Junior Order anyway, for several reasons: she is Muggleborn and therefore in danger already; she is a close friend of Harry Potter; and she was one of the six in the Department of Mysteries. If we can have her here doing research, she will be far better protected."

McGonagall was intrigued. "Just _what other_ ideas that you thought good did Mr. Potter present to you? And for that matter, why did he write to you in the first place?"

"I'm curious about that as well, but more curious as to why he wrote to _you_, Severus," Flitwick interjected. "It's common knowledge that you two loathe each other!"

Snape replied first. "It would seem that the recent Ministry events, combined with the knowledge of his true role in this War, has fired his determination to mend his slacker ways and to do his part. He has also realized that he cannot prepare alone; that he must have help, without which he cannot do what he must; and that I have knowledge and skills that he needs and can use. His letter acknowledged our…past differences, and offered an acceptable means of getting past those differences, so that we may work together without destroying the school in the process, but still upholding my mask."

"And you accepted this." McGonagall's statement wasn't a question.

"I did, and he did," Snape replied calmly. "Suffice it to say that he gave me good reason to do so. While we will still appear to be at odds in public--and some of it will be real, as we will still have points of difference, and trust takes time to build--much of it will be for the same audience I must please." He did not elaborate further, and his expression did not invite questions.

"As for me," Dumbledore took up the discussion, "he asked several things of me, and made several quite sensible suggestions. One was to continue the DA—he did not know at the time that I had rehired Remus—but open it to all ages and Houses. This would be separate from his other suggestion of a junior Order, which would be much more exclusive, and subject to many of the same bindings, but be designed to handle such tasks as are within the capabilities of students, and thus free up the adults for more active duty." He gave a sad sigh.

"As Pomona said, we should be preparing our children to live, not having to prepare them for war. But too many of them are already involved, on both sides. They will not truly _have_ the full lives that they deserve until we get past this War, and to me _that_ is the greatest evil that Tom is committing."

His voice rose and intensified as he spoke. "If we do not arm them with all that they need to survive, then we as teachers will be failing our duty to them. I, for one, refuse to so fail. If the Second Voldemort War is not to be as long, cruel and bloody as the First, we must use every resource we have. If that means student teachers, fighters, and researchers in the Dark Arts, so be it. If we must hire more staff and teach courses not usually offered, then we do so." He looked from one House Head to another. "If I must ask renewed Oaths and bindings from the staff, then I shall. If this means that I, personally, must go back into combat training, and stand in the front lines myself to defend Hogwarts with my own life, then that is what I shall do. In fact, I would suggest to all of you to work to improve your physical and combat skills. All of us must be at our physical, mental and magical best; nothing less will do."

"What about those of us on the staff who have little or no combat expertise?" Sprout asked.

"As I suggested before, Filius can train you, in the course of refreshing his own skills. If the students can do this, then certainly we can! However, we will also find places for those who will not be the front-line fighters; there are many uses for everyone's skills. Nothing and no one will be considered useless. When I said that every resource will be used, I meant exactly that: from myself to the House Elves, including the ghosts, portraits and other non-human residents of Hogwarts." A thought struck him. "And speaking of those, it is also long past time that we had an accurate census of Hogwarts. We need to know who and what else lives here, and how they can help, or if not, at least what is needed to prevent them from harming us."

"Then I believe we all have our work cut out for us," replied Sprout. "There are a _lot_ of non-human residents of the castle and grounds."

A voice came from behind her. "This is where we may help," said the portrait of Dilys Derwent, a former Headmistress who had also been a Healer. "We speak to each other, and we can help with areas seldom visited, so long as there is a portrait there."

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you, Dilys," he replied. "I will procure some Dicta-Quills, so that we can record what you say without having to assign scribes."

McGonagall sighed. "Well, that was a short summer holiday," she commented dryly.

"True," replied Snape. "But the more we do this summer, the more of us are likely to survive to see next summer and have a holiday."

"Severus is right," Dumbledore agreed. "We cannot afford to waste time. And on that note, let us adjourn; I think I have talked more than enough today." He rose. "Thank you, all of you; I cannot run this school without all four of you."

After the usual handshakes, the four Professors headed for the stairs. However, before she could get far, Dumbledore touched McGonagall's arm.

"Minerva, stay a moment, if you would?" he asked. She sat back down, and waited until the others were gone.

III. Meetings—Albus and Minerva

(Directly afterwards)

"All right, Albus, tell me the truth. What _really_ happened?" asked McGonagall. "I seem to have missed a clue: but _something _has thoroughly shaken up Severus; I have _never_ seen him less snarky, more co-operative, or more honest in a House Heads meeting."

Before answering, Dumbledore went to a cabinet, took out the good brandy, and poured a generous tot into McGonagall's tea. He then sat back down, and told her everything that had happened from the arrival of Harry's letter. All that he withheld was the full contents of Snape's letter; some details were private to him and Harry.

After he finished, there was a long silence while they sipped their tea. McGonagall spoke first.

"Albus, what I don't understand is _why_ a letter from Harry should so affect Severus. He has let his hatred of James Potter color his entire relationship with the boy, whom he should be protecting and guiding, not belittling and insulting. He could never get along with Sirius—although to be fair, Sirius never made any kind of effort either—and has been barely civil to Remus. Now, they've actually made up?"

"Yes, Minerva, they have, and believe me I was as surprised as you were at how much Severus was affected," Dumbledore replied. "I am also pleased about that for an entirely different reason."

"That being?"

"Severus himself. You know what he is and has been, and the role he must play in all this. For years, and even more since Tom rose again, he has been fully expecting to be caught and tortured to death as a traitor—and he _still_ went back, time after time, playing one of the finest acting roles imaginable. This is the price he has willingly accepted, to pay for his own youthful error in taking Tom's Mark. However, the additional cost is as you have seen: he has been cold, bitter, untrusting, and unwilling to be at all social in public, lest his façade crack even the slightest. He has no hope for himself, that he can even survive the war, let alone have a life afterwards; he will not allow himself that luxury, and begrudges it to anyone else. But now that he knows the truth about Tom and Harry, he seems to feel the same urgency I do, and that Harry apparently does. In the interest of not wasting either further time—as the feuds with the dead were doing—or more lives, he is now willing to throw his entire effort into his part: this includes helping more with training the students, especially those who will be in the Junior Order, and in a manner that does not leave them either terrified or mortified. He is willing to let himself be civil in private at least. I was very pleased that he and Remus have called a truce—and it was Severus who made the first move, not Remus. He mentioned that he and Remus spoke at length about his letter. And you saw him today: I think we have seen more of the _real_ Severus Snape today than we have in a very long time, and I for one am exceedingly glad for it."

Dumbledore refreshed his tea, and continued. "He saw in Harry's letter that Harry was willing to put aside everything but the necessities to further the Order's main goal. This is no less than what he himself has been doing all these years. I think part of what his problem with Harry was, aside from the unnerving resemblance to the despised James Potter, was that he was deeply envious of the fact that Harry was actually living a life in between crises, as Severus could or would not. Part of that belief has been destroyed, now that he knows the truth about Harry's home life. They have more in common than either of them realizes, and they are both capable of great single-mindedness; for them to work together will help not only all of us, but both of them."

McGonagall considered that. "What set off Harry, though? I too expected him to still be in mourning."

"The very same thing that has been his underlying motivation all along: the great desire he has to lose no more friends and family. Truly, Minerva, if he could, he would place himself between his friends and all harm—and he now knows he cannot do that; apart from its sheer impossibility, his friends insist on doing their share. Or he would want to call Tom out in Wizard's Duel, and do all he could to take him down, even at the cost of his own life."

"But he's not even sixteen yet, and Tom would make short work of him!"

"He knows that. If nothing else, seeing Tom and me fight in the Ministry showed him that he is not nearly ready to fight at our level. Hence, the desire for more training, and a new resolve to work at it until that goal _can_ be achieved, and sooner rather than later. As he said in his letter to me, he knows that he cannot personally protect every single person he cares for; the only way he _can_ is to learn what he needs to know to face Tom. He knows that he cannot do it now; but he is willing to wait and train until he at least has a chance. He does not want to lose, for to do so would be to fail everyone he loves—and _that_ is unacceptable to him." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to unfocus for a minute, then they widened ever so slightly; a realization came into them, and sadness.

McGonagall saw that; after all the years she had worked with this man she knew his expressions very well. "Albus, what is it?" she asked softly.

"I think I have realized just what _is_ truly motivating Harry. A moment…" He got up, went to the cabinet, and drew out his Pensieve. "I do not intend to make this general knowledge, even in the Order; but you are my Deputy, and you will be the Headmistress if I perish or am incapacitated in this war; you and Alastor will be leading the Order. You need to know more than the others do; so far, only Harry and I have heard all of this. This is the Prophecy, in full, of the Seventh-Month Child, that Tom was after last month; it is as Sibyll told it to me, years ago, when she applied for her post here. This is one of her two real ones, and I wish it were not so." He activated the Pensieve, and sat back with bowed head.

McGonagall listened to the part she already knew--then froze as she heard the part she did not know: "…And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives…"

When the miniature figure of Sibyll Trelawney faded away, Dumbledore raised his bent head. "I think Harry has made his own interpretation of the Prophecy: so long as Tom walks the earth, Harry cannot live the normal life of a nearly-sixteen-year-old Wizard; he will always be looking over his shoulder for Tom and his followers and worrying about his loved ones. Tom cannot attain the power and the rule he wants until Harry is dead; he does not know that yet." His eyes widened a little in surprise, then thoughtfulness. "And I have come to my own realization: Harry's geas is only to _kill_ Tom, or be killed by him. _Nowhere_ does it say that others may not have a hand in _hurting_ Tom, and having Harry give him the final coup only; again, the reverse is also true. It will not be as dramatic as their first meeting, nor as heroic-sounding as having them go at it in a one-on-one duel—but it will _work_, and much sooner than waiting for Harry to come into his full power and skill." His eyes lit with a small gleam of hope.

McGonagall was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Do you know what this 'power that the Dark Lord knows not' is?"

"I believe so—it is what saved Harry the first time, and this latest time in the Ministry," Dumbledore replied quietly. "It is love; it has defended Harry several times already. Tom cannot bear it and has none of his own. But how an _offensive_ weapon may be made of it, I have no idea as yet."

IV. Meetings--Harry and Remus

(Concurrent with the House Heads' meeting)

"Are you certain that three will do?" asked Lupin.

"Yes, three everyday robes will do; I will probably have to go to Diagon Alley for at least one set of battle robes, as they don't have such things here. My dress robes still fit, and haven't had much use; I'll keep those. I'm just glad that they had enough socks, shirts and underwear; I _really_ needed replacements. Now _you_, on the other hand, _do _need more; you are a Professor again and should look like one, not like a tramp!" Harry insisted. "If you won't buy them for yourself, _I_ will. Now, get up there on the fitting stand and hold still!"

Smiling, Lupin obligingly took his place on the fitting stand. After his measurements were taken, and fabrics selected, he made the necessary arrangements for delivery, and asked Harry, "Where to, next?"

"Lunch at the Three Broomsticks," Harry decided. "I think Madam Rosmerta will give us one of her private rooms if we ask her."

Lupin agreed. While Harry's trademark messy black hair, green eyes and scar were hidden under a Glamour Charm, much of what they might discuss over lunch did not bear being overheard—and Lupin knew that Harry would have many questions, now that he had had a night to sleep on yesterday's events.

"All right, Moony," Harry began, after both Wizards had gotten outside of some decent food and some Butterbeers. "What got you into this? I wrote the Headmaster and Professor Snape, but I didn't figure on you as well. Not that I'm unhappy, mind—it was just a surprise!"

Lupin smiled a bit wryly. "You _would_ ask the hard one first. Let's see—your letters were sent, and arrived, Friday. That evening, Professor Snape came to Headquarters to ask me about the one you sent him."

"Why you? I thought he detested you! I'm not surprised that he went to Professor Dumbledore; they probably compared notes."

"He wanted a second opinion from someone who knew you well, _before_ he went to the Headmaster. In his opinion, the only adults who qualified who were in the Order were the elder Weasleys and I, and I'm the only one apart from the Headmaster who knew about some of the things you mentioned. He had no choice, if he was to get the honest evaluation he wanted."

"Why?"

Lupin grinned. "Because you gobsmacked him, Harry."

Harry blinked. "I did _what_?"

"You totally surprised him, and that is truly rare; he was definitely not prepared. More than that, and even rarer, you made him _think_; you showed him that you wanted what he wanted, and as badly, and was willing to do your share—and _that_ he did not expect, not from you, and not so soon after the Ministry battle. He was expecting you to be in the same condition that you were in at the end of the year, not swallowing your pride and grief and asking for help from a man whom you loathed." Lupin shook his head. "For that matter, you shocked _me_, too. I can't begin to tell you how proud of you I was, for being so generous to a man who has given you nothing but grief in public—no matter how much help he has given you in private."

"So you read the letter?"

"Yes, I did; actually, I read both of them. Severus surprised me, too; he came to me on his own, and _asked_ me nicely—well, nicely for him—to read it, so that I could tell him if you were, in his words, 'serious and sane'. I told you why he picked me. But it's odder than that; something you said about wanting not to waste time hit him hard, for some reason. He was sincere, and willing to help—and _he_ was the one who offered the truce, not I."

Harry stared at the older man. "_He_ did?"

"He did, indeed. You convinced him that you were sincere, and you also managed to crystallize some of his own uneasiness. Afterwards, we both went to Albus; I think we surprised him, too, at seeing us together without fighting. We all read both your letters, decided that your ideas were worth the discussion you asked for, and came to see you; the rest you know."

Lupin then gave Harry a compassionate look. "I also know now, having seen it—and I know Albus and Severus know this, too—that you were trying to do too much, too fast; but we might not have realized it, had it not been for the incident with your relatives."

Harry shrugged. "I think I would have been all right, if Aunt Marge hadn't been there. She has always hated me, for what reason I have no idea. But I just wasn't ready to deal with her comments right then. The policeman wasn't a problem; I mean, after the Dark Lord and the Wizengamot, he was nothing. But the main problem is that he exposed the Dursleys for liars to the whole neighborhood—and for that they will _never_ forgive me. You probably saved me a major scolding."

"Albus and Severus thought it would be worse than that; it was _your_ reaction they were worried about. They were afraid you were going to completely lose it and blow up the house and all of us with it. That you handled yourself as well as you did impressed both of them immensely—you have no idea how much." Lupin smiled. "And you should have seen Severus giving your relatives the full Snape treatment—then Albus laid into them! I hardly had to say anything!"

Harry tried to imagine such a scene; it was unnerving. However, given two unpleasant people to choose from, he would rather deal with Snape rather than Uncle Vernon. "So, what happens to me now?" he asked.

"Albus has temporary custody; he will get you a new guardian. It can't be me because of the laws; but I will have a say, and your guardian must accept me as part of your family. It likely won't be the Weasleys, as they are targets already; but they must also be acceptable to any guardian of yours. If it were peacetime, I think they'd be his first choice. Severus is out of the question, for what should be obvious reasons. Minerva is your Head of House, and Albus' Deputy; there are responsibility conflicts there. And I think you understand why Albus can't keep you himself; he simply has too many obligations as it is, and dares not make you even more of a target than you already are."

Harry nodded. "I know he cares, in his own way. But he has to see the big picture, and I'm one part only. I don't think I would want to be in his place, to have to run a war, and care so much—and this isn't even the first time for him. If I can do my part, I'll be happy; the other result is just not acceptable."

Lupin nodded. "That was what Severus saw in your letter. To him, the other result is not acceptable either. You are correct, by the way, about his loyalties; whatever other differences we have, we agree on one thing: Riddle and his crew _must_ be brought down and destroyed. Severus has never said so in so many words, least of all to me; but I think his decision to take the Mark was one of the biggest regrets of his life. Then again, many of his House year-mates did so as well, so he wasn't alone. But no matter his attitudes, no matter how bitter he is—he will stand by _Dumbledore_ to the end, no matter the cost. He owes Albus more than a Life-Debt, it's more of a soul-debt; and he will pay and keep paying until either he dies or Riddle does."

Harry shook his head sadly. "As I said, it isn't me he has to convince. It's Ron who doesn't trust him not to betray us."

Lupin considered that. "I think that once we get the Junior Order up and running, Severus will be working with it. Remember it won't be just combat skills you'll be learning: you young people will be using your other skills as well. You've intrigued Severus with your ideas about Peter; I think he will be using the Juniors as researchers on that, at least. If he can show the face to them, at least in private, that he has shown to us this weekend, and hold down his usual sneering, I think Ron will come around, once he realizes that there really _is_ a human being under the snarky bastard of a Slytherin Potions Master—and one who has made unimaginable sacrifices."

Harry nodded; he knew what went on at Death Eater meetings, and he was certain that Snape took his turn under Riddle's tortures.

Lupin decided it was time to change the subject. "There is one other subject we haven't gotten to, that you asked Albus about: and that is Sirius' estate."

Harry looked up, startled. "I thought that we couldn't even acknowledge that we knew him, let alone knew he was alive or dead?"

"Not any more," Lupin replied. "Albus has managed to convince Fudge that one of the things he was wrong about _was_ Sirius. The fact that Sirius fell at the hands of a known Death Eater in front of witnesses, rather than fighting on their side, helped convince the Minister. We may not get a _public_ acquittal for Sirius yet, but neither will we have to hide that we knew him any more. Albus is waiting on the Gringotts Goblins to get back to him on the will, but it looks as if you and I will be the major beneficiaries, with Albus as executor and trustee in case you're still a minor, as you are. Siri disinherited all the Death Eater relatives, and as the last male Black of the direct line, he had somewhat more freedom to will things that otherwise would have to go to a Black; Andromeda and Tonks will get any of that they may want. The house will still be for the Order's use for the duration, but we can live there; I have lifetime residence rights either there, or if Siri owned any other houses; we'll get the details later. You will _not_ be going back to the Dursleys' ever again, unless you want to visit."

"But I thought…I thought this was temporary? What about the blood protections?" Harry was confused.

"Right, I forgot you were asleep when we laid into your relatives, and half asleep when you signed the paperwork. Well, first you have to remember that all three of us saw and heard the entire thing: not only the general meeting, but also your private conference with DC Markham. I didn't hear Albus' conference with him, but he and Severus are satisfied that Markham won't cause any problems. He's convinced that you aren't the problem, and will do what he can for your cousin; the rest he doesn't care about as it isn't a local matter. But the gist of what we three agreed on was that in order to give you what you not only want, but _need, _you have to get away from that place; the Blood Charm is of little use if your own family hurts you even worse, even through inaction and neglect. You told us that you were in for a major tantrum from them when they got back; oddly enough, Markham warned Albus about that as well, and he doesn't even know the whole story." Lupin sighed. "We would be unfit to be your teachers and guardians if we had deliberately left you there: we feared that you would level the house when you finally snapped, with maybe us, yourself and the Dursleys in it."

"I'm not that strong!" protested Harry. "That's why I left my wand with you--so I wouldn't be tempted to hex anyone!"

"Oh, yes you are—especially if it all comes out at once, pointing in one direction—everything you've been holding back for years, on top of everything you were holding back yesterday to keep your cover with the constables and your neighbors." Remus gave Harry a measuring look. "Harry, I don't need the wolf sense to tell me that you have _not_ told us all of the truth about your home life, not by half. What you _have_ told me, and what I have seen and heard there, tells me that something should have been done much sooner than this. How you lived there is part of what made you as strong as you are: it has also hurt you in that you cannot properly express yourself to other people; you do not trust adults, or else you want to protect the ones who should be protecting you, as you did this last term; you have only the vaguest idea of a normal family relationship; and you have a very poor opinion of yourself as a worthy human being in your own right, not just for what you can do. Having too poor of a self-image can be as bad as having too inflated a one. Worse yet, you have no clear sense of when you are not only _allowed_ to ask for help, but _need_ to, as you never had any. Worst of all, you feel as if you must hold everything in, lest you appear weak—and that is what your main problem was yesterday: it was trying to get out at last. _Everyone_ has a limit, and you were very near yours. You _do_ have great power, and to have it all explode at once would have had bitter consequences. So, you are effectively injured, at a time when you can least afford to be; you need time and a place to heal, and your relatives will not give you that. Believe it or not, Severus is actually the one who saw it most clearly; he deals discreetly with problem children in his House fairly often, and he's seen that happen more than once. He and Albus agreed it was past time they got you out of there, and to where you can rest and heal before you begin the demanding training you want."

Harry bowed his head. "I just want to get _on_ with it, so that I can do what I have to, and finally get back to living," he said miserably.

"That you will—but you _must_ be in condition to do so, and right now you are not. No one will think the less of you if you take a few more days to rest, recover, and mourn; I think Albus is also planning a memorial soon for Sirius, and that will help."

"But I've already _had_ time—" Harry looked up in impatience.

"You were isolated, unable to open up and let the pain out properly. It's festered, and needs to be drained before you _can_ move on." Lupin's eyes met Harry's; they glistened with unshed tears. "I at least had that much: that I had solitude when I wanted it, that no one put me down for crying at night, and I had people who cared to be with me when I needed it most. You've had almost none of that, and you deserve it. I know that you don't want to waste more time; I say that it will be _more_ time wasted, if you try to begin without healing _first_, and we have to patch you up worse later." His voice intensified. "And don't you _dare_ tell me that you don't deserve a respite, or you _do_ deserve the pain. You've at least gotten past the blame cycle, and that's good. That you managed such well-reasoned, intelligent letters impressed the hell out of both Albus and Severus, to say nothing of me! But you have to deal with things in their proper order."

Harry looked back down. "Do they understand _why_ I must do this? That I don't want any more lives lost that I could have prevented? That I have to, if you insist, heal as fast as possible so that I can get started?"

"You were quite clear about it in both letters," Lupin replied quietly. "We do indeed understand. What _you_ don't understand is this: _we are a community at war_. It isn't _only_ you and Riddle; some of his followers would quite happily pick up where he leaves off when he _is_ killed. On the other hand, you realize that there are other people to help you deal with the followers, and that they need training too. In war, there are casualties. All one can do is try to minimize those on your own side, and cause the maximum on the other. I know it is not your part to handle the overall picture. As you yourself said, that's Albus', and frankly, I don't envy him any more than you do. But neither you nor he can prevent _all_ losses, and if you can realize that, it will help."

V. Meetings--Albus, Remus and Severus

(Still later that day, in the Headmaster's office)

"How did the shopping go?" inquired the Headmaster of Remus Lupin.

"Well enough," replied Lupin. "Harry insisted that I buy new clothes too. After all, I should look like a Professor again."

The other two men smiled. "I do not recall that you ever had any fashion sense," Snape commented dryly.

"I really don't," Lupin admitted with a smile. "When you don't have money, you can't afford fashion. But in this case, Harry threatened me that he'd buy the robes if I didn't. So, what could I do? I shut up and let myself get fitted."

Dumbledore leaned forward a bit. "And how well did the Glamour charm work?"

"Very," Lupin replied. "No one paid Harry the least attention. A few people recognized me, but not many." His smile faded as he recalled the rest of the day. "After that, we went to the Three Broomsticks for lunch in a private room—and made very certain that we were not interrupted or overheard. Harry is now caught up on the basics of what happened when he was asleep. I also told him you were working on the will, and will let us know the details when the Goblins get back with you."

"That I expect to happen this week," Dumbledore replied. "For your part, I would not be concerned about the price of your robes; you will have enough."

Lupin's head dropped. "You know that I would trade all of it to get Sirius back. So would Harry." He raised his head back up. "But I think Harry is finally starting to really _believe_ what he wrote to you two: that what happened is now _past_, and he cannot change it. I think that your plan for the memorial should go forward as soon as possible; we here are not the only ones who need the closure."

"I intend to bring that up this Friday, at the full Order meeting," Dumbledore agreed. "At the same meeting, I also intend to bring up his idea of a Junior Order for those who are not of age, but able to assist."

"Do you plan to tell the Order that it is Potter's idea?" Snape asked, with a slight tone of his usual skepticism.

Dumbledore was unmoved. "Yes, I do; I intend to tell them several of his ideas, with the thought that they need to see him as more than a child, and more than an Order asset to be safeguarded closely. We failed in that; the other method may work better." He looked from Lupin to Snape. "Will I have your support, or will we argue about it?"

Lupin answered first. "You know you have mine, Albus. The best hope I have of seeing that Harry has a chance of _surviving_ the war is to get him the training he needs. Afterwards, we can consider schooling and careers."

The Headmaster nodded. "In turn, I will do all in my power to aid him in this goal." He turned to Snape. "And you, Severus?"

"I will, but not for the reason you may think," Snape replied quietly. "If Potter is indeed what is required to win the war, then he needs the training. His friends will not abandon him, and too many of them know what I am; therefore, I will need to train them as well. And, before you ask, I will do my part as best I can." He raised his head and met Dumbledore's eyes. "I believe I now have another report of my spying to make."

"Should I leave?" Lupin asked.

"Not for this," Snape replied. "If you will remember, Albus, I took each of the Dursleys away and did the Memory Charms. I also performed _Legilimency_ on them."

"Oh? In addition to the Memory Charms?" Dumbledore asked. "To which ones did you do this, why, and what did you learn?"

"On all three, and since Dudley is sixteen that includes committing it on a minor; in order to discover their true attitudes that we suspected, and the information about Potter's home life that he has not been willing to tell us; and more than I _ever_ wanted to know."

"Meaning?"

Snape gave a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "Potter was right, and so was Markham; had we not intervened Harry would have been verbally abused, and probably worse. He has continually understated the poor treatment he received there. From Vernon, I discovered a deep-seated resentment that we kept him from 'thrashing the freakiness out of him', and apparently, he _had_ been trying to do just that before Harry's first letter. From Petunia, there is much bitterness that goes back from before Harry was born: this started with jealousy of Lily who became the family's favorite after she got her Hogwarts letter. It didn't help that Lily was also the prettier of the two girls. This was expressed in part by indulging and fattening Dudley while working and starving Harry, to the point of keeping him in a cupboard until he received his first letter—and _that_ he didn't get until Hagrid gave it to him. Vernon was intending to get physical this time; with the Underage Restrictions, Potter didn't stand much of a chance against someone that much bigger. If he _had_ used any magic, the Ministry could not have failed to notice, and our visit would have been exposed. From Dudley, I saw many instances of physical abuse: pushing, shoving, and striking with a short baton he has as part of his school uniform; had Harry not learned to run and hide, he would have been beaten many more times for the pleasure of Dudley and his friends. However, this current incident has shaken Dudley so much, that I think if someone can get him out of that house and away from Vernon, he can maybe reform. Last summer's lesson with the Dementors was not wasted on him. However, he will not be able to do it alone against his parents; he needs outside help, and I think that Markham is willing to do it. You did mention it to Markham; and I did manage to drop a tiny hint to the boy to ask for police assistance."

Dumbledore nodded. "In this case, you were acting in Harry's interests, and actually in Dudley's; I see no need for this to go any further, as I suppose the memory of what you did is part of what you removed." At Snape's brief nod, he continued, but a sad note crept into his voice, and his eyes dimmed a little. "This only confirms that what we did was indeed the right thing to do. I only wish that we could have done it sooner, or that there had been a better choice in the first place."

"So, now what happens?" asked Lupin quietly.

"Harry will stay here at least a few days, until a number of matters are sorted out. I will speak to the person I have in mind as a guardian this week to determine if there is interest." The Headmaster looked at both the men before him. "Either of you would be far better, and neither of you is possible. I only wish it were not so."

Snape's face took on its usual scowl. "Really, Albus, how could I _possibly_ be considered at all?"

"I did not say you were being considered; I know it would be impossible," Dumbledore replied calmly. "But you at your worst would have been better than those Muggles. That is one error of many that will haunt me for life: that I let _any_ child under my watch endure such conditions. I know Harry is not the only one, nor the worst, and that we have done what we could when we could; but I know that some will not be discovered."

"There is one fault in your reasoning: if Harry _were_ my ward, in order for him to be allowed to live at all, it would be expected for him to be trained in the Dark Arts, and to take the Mark as soon as he became of age. Tell me the Muggles were worse than _that_!" Snape's voice, even at first, ended in a snap.

"I am not speaking of _then_, Severus," Dumbledore replied, still calmly. "I am speaking of _now_. As we have all been reminded several times this week, the past is done and over with; we must go forward and do what we can with what we have. What we have, fortunately, is a living Harry Potter, who is not so crippled that he cannot heal; and who, furthermore, is willing, if not yet able, to take his place in the War. What we must do is simple: everything we can, which includes getting him a guardian who understands what Harry must do, and will support him instead of trying to hold him back. You at least could have been that, were the circumstances different. But as they are not, then the most I can ask of you is to do as you have been doing: silent support and watchfulness in the background, training as possible, and giving him a place he knows he can turn to in an emergency, so that what happened last month will be less likely to be repeated. Forgetting that you were Order and that you could be trusted was one of the errors Harry made that he bitterly regrets."

"And that is at least part of the horrific guilt-load he has over Black," the Potions Master replied tiredly. "I am certain that he has blamed me in part for Black's demise; I _know_ he did not really trust me then, and I have barely won any of his trust now." He looked over at the brooding Werewolf. "Remus, I know I will have to work with him, in order to fulfill his requests of me. Do you believe that he will hold to his resolve to work with me as well?"

Lupin thought for a few moments, then nodded. "I think so. It won't be smooth or easy for either of you, because you are both immensely stubborn; but if you both can at least start out with an effort to be civil in private, then maybe things will go as we wish for a change." He managed a slight smile. "And I'll be here—well, at least most of the time—for Harry to rant about you to, and I promise not to tear you to shreds if the training proves to be a little bruising."

"It will be," Snape promised grimly. "If we are running short on time, as we all seem to agree on, then I must push him as hard and fast as he and I can manage. He _must_ be shielded, at the minimum, from false visions, so that we are not misled again. We are both going to be bruised from this."

"You are both strong enough to endure it," Dumbledore encouraged. "And with Remus to act as a backup and a safe place to vent, I think Harry will do well." He smiled at both men. "I am also immensely proud of both of you, that you are starting to work together to help attain our goal. I can only hope, when all this is over, that we can continue as we have begun, and not find more reasons to hurt each other." He stood and stretched. "I have sat in too many meetings today, and I am old enough to admit when I am tired. I suggest we all get dinner, and then a decent night's sleep, so that we may begin anew in the morning with clear heads." This was a dismissal, and both of the younger men knew it.


	2. Guardianship

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels.

**GUARDIANSHIP** (Meetings VI: Albus and Alastor, Remus and Harry)

(Tuesday, day after Heads-of-House meeting, 9 July)

"Alastor, I am glad you could come see me today." Albus Dumbledore gestured to the old Auror to take a seat.

His guest sat. "What's on your mind, Albus? You're worried about something, and it isn't just the usual." Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody preferred to get directly to the point.

"Something definitely is: it's Harry Potter," Dumbledore replied.

"What? Is it the wards, or those Muggles…if Dursley is ignoring my plain warning…" Moody subsided at Dumbledore's placating gestures.

"It's Harry himself: he is here at Hogwarts, and cannot be returned to the Dursleys," the Headmaster replied. "And no, it isn't anything you failed to do. They did not treat him any worse than they ever did. But he had written to both Severus and myself, asking us for the training he needs to do his part in the War.

Remus, Severus and I went to his house on Sunday to give him some books and confer on some questions he raised. However, there was an incident involving his cousin and the Muggle police, and now all their neighbors know that the Dursleys have been lying about Harry for fifteen years—telling them that he goes to a school for criminal delinquents. Harry handled the entire matter with far more grace and courage than he should ever have had to. What he did not realize is that he has not sufficiently recovered from the Ministry events. He was just short of totally losing control—emotionally and magically. That he did _not _is a tribute to him. The Dursleys would be giving him no support at all; they were not aware of what happened--mainly because he told them nothing, knowing that they would not help him."

"But he wrote us faithfully every three days…were those lies?" asked Moody.

"No, they were not lies; merely not all of the truth," Dumbledore replied. "He has just barely begun to come to terms with what happened last month; but in fact he was merely shoving it down inside. He wants now very badly to do what he has been foreseen to do: and he is nowhere nearly ready."

"So you want me to help train him," Moody said, in a quieter version of his usual gruff tones.

"More than that, Alastor: I need a new guardian for him. I managed to persuade the Dursleys to sign a waiver of guardianship in my favor; they do not want him, and he cannot heal enough to even start training if he is still there. Severus, Remus and I all agreed that the neglect from his relatives was bad enough in his current condition to offset the immunity of the Blood Charm; we packed him up and took him out of there Sunday. He is still here, in Remus' suite."

Moody whistled softly. "That bad, huh?" He turned the matter over in his mind for a few minutes, and then latched onto one item that had been said. "What's Snape have to do with this?"

"He is one of the people to whom Harry wrote, asking for more training; in his case for more lessons in Occlumency," Dumbledore replied. "I am the other. Actually, Harry has done us far more of a favor than he realizes: what he wrote in his letter to Severus was, in part, an offer to settle the feud between them. What he wrote in both our letters, if not always so explicitly, was an urgent plea not to waste more time on pointless side issues, such as feuds with the dead, when there is a war to be won. Severus was so shocked, in fact, that he actually went to Remus for advice as to the genuineness of Harry's letter; he ended up offering a truce with Remus."

"Wait—you said _Snape_ offered the truce, and not Lupin?" Moody queried suspiciously.

"Indeed he did," Dumbledore replied. "And not only that: at Harry's house, he accepted a formal release-of-obligation on the Life-Debts they owe each other—in Severus' case, to James Potter—and Remus and I witnessed it. But the truly amazing thing was that _Fawkes_ also witnessed and endorsed it, too." He smiled. "It was a beautiful thing to see, too. As I told them then, I have seen few Phoenix witnessings, and none save Order oaths in at least half a century. It would appear that Fawkes agrees with Harry and Severus making peace, so that we can get on with more urgent matters."

"And if either of them had been false, he wouldn't have done it, would he?"

"As far as I know, that is correct." Dumbledore reached over and petted the Phoenix, who trilled softly in return. "Fawkes has always been fond of Harry, anyway; he would not do anything against him." He turned back to Moody, and met the Auror's gaze. "I have been telling you all along that I trust Severus; this has only confirmed my trust."

"He's a hard man _to_ trust," returned Moody. "He may be sincere now, but what about later? What if Riddle manages to make him a better offer?"

"There is not now any offer that Tom could make him, or threat he could use, that would turn Severus from his purpose, which is to help bring Tom down," Dumbledore replied quietly. "We had a long talk this weekend. Harry's letter to him managed something that I did not think any of the rest of us could have done, not even I: it found and spoke to a deep and urgent need in him to get this War over and done with."

He met the other man's eyes; there was no twinkle in his own. "Severus is weary, Alastor, more so than he will ever admit: he is tired of groveling to Tom, more than tired of the torture; tired of the double and triple game he has to play so carefully, with the lives of the students in his House in the balance. He does what he does as much for them as for me, because he sees a repeat of his own school years, during Tom's first rise, and knows what will happen to some of them—and he does not want that. He does not expect to survive this war; in fact, he believes that once the prisoners are freed—and they will be—his spying will be uncovered sooner rather than later. So, he feels he has nothing left to lose by throwing his entire effort into our cause, and he will give nothing more to Riddle that what he absolutely must."

He closed his eyes for a few moments, and then opened them and met Moody's again. "For what it's worth, I agree with both of them: I too am feeling an urgent need to get plans laid sooner rather than later. As I realized at dinner last week, and as I told my House Heads yesterday: if this second war with Tom is not to be as long, bloody and cruel as the first one was, we _must_ bring it to a conclusion within the next few years—not more than three, by my estimate—and make it a _final _conclusion. And Harry now knows that it is he who must make an end of Tom, because, as you and others have surmised, he is indeed the Prophecy Child."

"Which makes him the single most important person on our side," Moody agreed. "Hell of a load for a kid not yet sixteen."

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied sadly. "My dearest wish for something which I know I cannot have is to be the one rather than Harry. While he has, or will have, the power to vanquish Tom, unfortunately the reverse is not ruled out. However, _nothing_ in the prophecy states that others may not have a hand in _hurting_ Tom. Harry is nowhere near ready for such a confrontation now, and he knows it; that is why he has asked for the training. He wishes to make an end of this matter, so that he may have a chance for a life again; and what is _far_ more important to him, so that his friends and loved ones will be safe and have lives."

He turned away a little; Moody thought he saw a slight shimmer in the old blue eyes that was not the usual twinkle. "Harry is completely willing to hazard or even sacrifice his life to bring about Tom's end. To that end, he is forcing himself to put aside everything else in his life to train for that goal. He is not ready for that; he is still hurting from last month, and he badly needs support. He needs a new guardian who will give him that support, and also support him as a Hogwarts student, which he must also continue to be. More, he needs a guardian who understands what he has been through, what he is fighting against, and for, and what he needs. That is what I am asking of you today: are you willing to be Harry's guardian in place of the Dursleys?"

Moody was stunned. "Why _me_, Albus? I'm not parent material, and I can't give him the family love that he truly needs. He needs family, not a crusty old grouch like me. I can certainly train him."

"I think you could learn to do that, Alastor," said Dumbledore, still quietly. "As much as he needs that, he needs respect and support more. Truly, I've thought over everyone in the Order as possibilities. I cannot, for what should be obvious reasons; I have too many responsibilities as it is. Minerva is his Head of House; there are conflicts of responsibility there, and I will also be relying on her much more as my Deputy this year. I seriously thought of Filius, but he doesn't really _know_ Harry well enough yet, even after five years of teaching him. Neither does Pomona, and she also has no combat experience; she will not understand all that he will need. Both of them have House responsibilities as well. Remus would be my first choice, as he is named so in fact in Sirius' will; but the current laws forbid it; the most he can be is a co-guardian with a non-lycanthrope. The Weasleys would be my first choice if this were peacetime; but this is wartime, and Molly would never allow him what he needs. She loves him too much, as I do; in a non-guardian role, she can still give him the mother love he so badly craves and needs."

He stopped, took a slow breath, let it out, and continued. "Severus is totally out of the question; I cannot think of a faster way to lose along with Harry not only our spy, but my most effective undercover helper and guardian for those Slytherins who do not support Tom. Arabella would have to be relocated; she is too close to the Dursleys, and their insufferable neighbors, for Harry's safety, and she cannot defend him. I am thinking of bringing her and her cats to Hogwarts as a second caretaker with Argus, anyway; with Harry out of the neighborhood, she has no more reason to stay there, and every reason to come to a safer location. The adult Weasley sons see Harry as a younger brother, when he needs a parent. Tonks does as well, and is an active-duty Auror; having Harry will draw too much attention to her from the Ministry. The same applies to Kingsley, although he is enough older; besides they are both at constant risk, and Harry does not need the constant worry. None of the rest of the suitable members of the Order knows him at all well, and I cannot and will not give him to someone outside the Order; too much is at stake."

Moody was silent for a few minutes. "I'm not exactly risk-free myself, Albus," he reminded. "Potter tends to care a lot about people, and I'd hate to see him get attached to me, then lose me."

"I thought about that factor for quite a few of the Order," Dumbledore replied. "But none of us can tell Harry not to care, when that is in fact one of his best defenses against Tom. You take more and better precautions than most, so you are more likely to survive. You will not be afraid to tell Harry when he's wrong. And you have one other advantage: all the experience of an Auror, but not on active duty; you have the time both to train him and to be with him."

"Have you asked him?"

"No; I wished to have someone ready and willing beforehand. I would like to settle all of this before his birthday at the end of the month. In any case, as far as the legalities go, this would only need to be for one year; Harry turns seventeen this time next year and will be a legal adult in our world. But he will still need family after then."

Moody was silent for a minute or two; when he spoke, it was softer than usual. "A lot can happen in a year, Albus."

"I know," the older man answered, equally softly. "Let us hope for a good year, then, and arrange the happenings as much to our needs as we may." He straightened up in his chair. "Will you do this, or do you wish to think on the matter a while?"

Moody remained silent for another minute or two, and then looked up. "I'll do it, Albus," he said. "If Potter agrees, we can do the paperwork whenever you're ready. And I do think that we'll be on firmer ground if Lupin _is_ on the papers as co-guardian; he's a damn decent man for all that he's a Werewolf. If I know Sirius Black, his will would have been pretty straightforward about that."

"That we will find out for certain later this week, as we have a meeting with the Goblins," Dumbledore replied. "In any case, you will not have to support Harry on your Auror's pension; he has enough Potter and Black money to take care of all three of you and the Black House as well." He smiled. "Suppose I call in Remus now, as he is supposed to have a say in whomever I select; then we will call in Harry."

When the Werewolf had joined the other two men in Dumbledore's office, and the tea had been poured, the Headmaster went straight to the point.

"Remus, I will not be positive until I've seen it in writing, but I believe you are named as Harry's guardian in Sirius' Will. He wrote it recently enough to be cognizant of the current laws, so I also believe that you have veto power over whoever is assigned as your co-guardian. As I am the custodian of his guardianship, it falls to me to make the selection. Would Alastor be acceptable to you as Harry's new co-guardian?"

Lupin's eyebrows rose; he looked over at Moody. "Did you volunteer, or did Albus ask you?" he inquired.

"Albus asked me. Frankly, I had never thought of the idea myself, but the more I think of it, the better I like it," Moody replied. "The boy needs someone who will neither wrap him in cotton-wool nor throw him into the deep end. He also needs emotional support; that's where you come in, and we can get Molly for part of it. Having her _not_ be the guardian will keep her from objecting to the training Potter needs, and still leave her able to give him mothering when he does need it."

Moody looked directly at Lupin with both eyes; the magical one was still and focused. "I've already pledged to defend the boy with my life; this will just give me more reason to. And as I told Albus, you're a damned decent man despite your problem, and Potter needs you, too; I don't object to sharing. You'd need someone to spell you for Full Moon times, anyway."

Lupin closed his eyes for a few moments, then opened them and turned to Dumbledore. "I have no objection, if Harry agrees," he said quietly. "I want only what is best for him, and in these times, your choices are more limited. Indeed, Harry and I discussed just this subject yesterday, but neither of us thought of Alastor; we were more focused on whom we could _not_ have."

"I will wager a Knut or two that your list of unacceptable choices and mine were not so far apart," Dumbledore suggested wryly.

"No bet, Albus," Lupin returned easily. "We are both realists; we both want Harry to have all that he needs, and what is best for him. We know who is available, and who is not. Now, all we have to do is see if _Harry_ is willing."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "After last month, and after the letters he wrote us, I think he would be more upset with us if we did _not_ give him a voice in something so major."

Lupin nodded. "It's as Severus put it to me Friday evening: '…he will no longer accept deception, protection, or half-measures'. Do you wish to call him, or shall I?"

Dumbledore gestured silently to the fireplace, and Remus fire-called Harry up to the Headmaster's office.

Harry arrived in the office, and found another chair had been set out for him. "Hi, Mad-Eye," he greeted Moody. "What brings you here?"

"You do, Potter," Moody replied, with a grimace that would have been a smile on anyone else.

Harry sighed as he sat down into the chair. "Why am I not surprised?" he asked of no one in particular. "What have I done or forgotten now?"

Lupin smiled. "Do you remember the discussion we had yesterday, about who should be your guardian with me?" he asked Harry.

"Yes," Harry replied. "I think we eliminated quite a few people, and frankly I can't think of anyone else who'd want me, and whom I'd want, who'd be safe having me."

"Well," Dumbledore smiled, "I _have_ found you someone who is willing to take on your care, who will work fairly with Remus, who will let the Weasleys love you as much as you need without being smothered or babied, and who has enough skill and power himself to teach and protect you. He is also in the Order and is quite competent to be your surrogate parent and, if you will let him, a friend." His smile dimmed only a little, as he grew serious. "Harry, I am Sirius' executor, and trustee of your share of his estate for so long as you are a minor. While it falls to me to select your guardian, you are old enough to have a say in it. If my selection is not satisfactory, then we can look elsewhere. So—will you be willing to accept Alastor Moody as your new co-guardian?"

Harry stared at the retired Auror. "_You_, Sir?" he choked out. The thought of having Moody as his new guardian had never even crossed his mind.

Moody's grimace of a smile widened. "Yes, me," he replied with a gruff chuckle. "What? Did you think I'm not up to it?"

Harry shook his head. "No, it's that…well, this isn't quite what I thought we'd be doing," he said slowly. "I _was_ going to ask you for training, but this is somewhat more than I expected."

Both Moody's blue magical eye and the dark normal one were now fixed on Harry. "Who is better to consent to your training that the one who is going to do it? Who's better to protect you than one who has been there, and who will be living with you? And, who's better to train _and_ guard you, than one who knows what you have to do, and who can help you to get there?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. The implications of this unexpected development were making his head spin. "I mean…are you sure you _want_ to? I don't want someone stuck with me just because they have to or something; I've had enough of that in my life."

"Potter—or if I'm to be your guardian, Harry—I'll be the first to admit that this was Albus' idea," Moody admitted. "But I like your spirit, I know what you're up against; I'd be honored to be your guardian. I've no family of my own left; the Order is as close as I get. You've no family worth mentioning, bar Remus. I'm willing to take you, if you're willing to have me, and don't you dare call it anything forced; you know that even Albus can't force me to do anything I don't want to do. I'll admit I'm not sweet, and I'll leave most of the emotional support to Remus, or to Molly Weasley if you really need mothering. I promise I'll be reasonable about most things, and for anything I tell you to do that you don't understand, I'll try to give reasons at least afterwards. If you want blunt truth, I'm better at that than any candy-coating, and frankly I think you've had enough of that."

"And you won't lie, or hide things because you think that I can't accept them?"

"As much as possible. Rather than lie, I'll just tell you that I can't speak of some things. Until you're fully trained in Occlumency, I have to keep my own counsel about some matters. But I think you're old enough now to be much more in the information loop than you were, especially in regards to your own training and mission."

"There is this also," Dumbledore put in. "One of the suggestions Harry made to us in my letter from him was to form a junior Order, for those who are currently underage but have abilities we can use. I intend to do just that; you, along with other adult Order members, will be tasked with their training. The first six to be invited in will be those who were in the Ministry last month; they will be _far_ more at risk than ever. The junior Order, while it will still be secret, will also be the core of the DA at Hogwarts. Even with Remus and Severus both teaching Defense, it still would not be amiss to have you there at least part-time to advise both the Order and the DA."

Moody sat up straighter. "Wait a minute—Lupin and Snape _both_ teaching Defense? You're getting pretty serious over here, aren't you? And who's going to get Potions?"

"For the last, I do not know yet; in any case, Severus will still have the upper years," Dumbledore answered. His expression was now much more serious. "For the rest of it—Alastor, I am preparing for war. You know it is here and so does the rest of the Order. Apart from my other responsibilities, _my_ mandate as Headmaster here is the safety and security of Hogwarts, and of everyone who inhabits this school. To that end, I am preparing my school for the war as well. As I told my House Heads yesterday, I think an attack on the school is quite possible: not now, perhaps, but within a year or so. I do _not_ intend to be unprepared; some of my preparations include additional staff, more training in Defense and not just for the students, and laying up extra supplies that might be needed. This is why I have also inducted Filius and Pomona into the Order; we need more members at the school. With Minerva injured and Hagrid and me both gone that night, Severus was the only one Harry could turn to, and their shared history made it almost too late." He turned back to Harry. "Be that as it may, we are getting off the subject. Harry, do you wish more time to decide? This _is_ a major decision for your life, even if it's only for the one remaining year of your Wizarding minority."

Harry was silent for a few minutes; the others did not push him. "I'll have him, if he's willing to put up with me," he said finally. "But I want a few conditions."

"You may state them," Dumbledore said. "Whether we accept them or not is a matter for discussion."

"Fair enough," Harry replied. "First: if they are both on the papers as my legal guardians, then either of them can sign any of my paperwork needed, right?" At nods from all three, he continued. "Then I want Mr. Moody to be with us when we deal with Sirius' will. I'm probably going to need someone to explain the paperwork and stuff about whatever Sirius may have left me."

"That is acceptable," Dumbledore replied calmly. "As a matter of fact, I believe he will be there anyway, if Sirius left him anything."

Harry nodded. "Second: if we're really preparing for war at Hogwarts, then I intend to be involved as much as possible. Please, Sir, don't hold me back in the name of protecting me; call it instead part of my training."

"You _will_ be involved, Harry," Dumbledore assured him. "For example, you will be leading an expedition this summer into the Chamber of Secrets; unless Fawkes takes us, you are the only one who can get us into it. I intend to thoroughly explore the Chamber; I _must_ know whether there are any _other_ entrances, or any other rooms in it. Also, I will ask of _you_ a major favor: I would like to borrow the Marauders' Map. If four students can create such a wonder, then one of them teamed with Filius Flitwick could surely make a newer, better one." His eyes grew thoughtful. "Can you see a command center for the defense of the school, centered around a strategy table based on an advanced version of the Map?"

"Yes, Sir," Harry replied. "I'm willing to do so—_if_ it's used for that purpose, and not to give the Professors a too-easy way to catch snoggers in the broom closets." That brought snickers from Lupin and Dumbledore, and a near-smile from Moody.

"I don't know, lad," the ex-Auror commented slowly. "I can't think of a better way to continue _constant vigilance!_" More snickers came from the other adults at Moody's favorite catchphrase; Harry couldn't help a light smile of his own.

"If it's used for that purpose," Lupin said quietly, after he stopped snickering, "I, as the last available member of the Marauders who created the Map, am willing to give permission—so long as it is clear that the original Map remains the property of Harry and myself, and will be returned to us when you are done with it." He turned to Harry. "What say you? As the current owner, and as the heir of Mr. Prongs, you have an equal say."

"I agree," Harry replied. "We need to know if we are getting infiltrated, and the Map is the best way I know to find out." He turned to Dumbledore. "I don't know if you know it, but the Map also sees through Polyjuice, Animagi, and Invisibility Cloaks. It also recognizes some other people, and will address them, if they attempt to make it work without the password." He and Lupin both smiled a little, remembering Professor Snape's attempt to make the Map work in Harry's third year, and the insults the Map had shown instead.

"Then I will leave it to you and Remus to teach us what we need to know," Dumbledore replied. "In turn, I will restrict the use of the Map to those who need it to make another, which will be Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and Remus here; and to those who will be making use of it to explore the school, which will be all of those here present, Professor Snape, and the Weasley twins. Except for Argus Filch, those I have mentioned have the most knowledge _of_ the school; Professor Snape has more knowledge of the dungeon levels than anyone else except Argus, who as a Squib cannot make use of the Map."

"Oh, he probably could," Harry said, "if someone else casts the activating charm. But I'm not sure I trust him; after last year, when Umbridge was going to give him an Approval for Whipping on the twins, I refuse to trust him with the welfare of anyone I care about—and that includes you, Sir. Also, he might recognize the Map; he's the one who confiscated it from the Marauders back then, and it sat in his files until the Weasley twins…uh, found it there."

Dumbledore nodded. "Then he shall not be included in the Map use, although he _will_ be helping me map the castle; I will not waste his considerable knowledge. For that matter, he is the only one I have mentioned who is _not_ in the Order, and I think I shall restrict the Map to Order members only—including eligible Auxiliary Order." He gave Harry a smile that conveyed approval, and a willingness to treat Harry as an equal in the discussions.

"And again, we're off the subject, although all of this is important," Moody interjected. "Harry, are there any more conditions you want to put on either me or Albus for my accepting your guardianship?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "Yes, just one." He turned toward Moody; his eyes were now filled with misery. "Please, Sir—don't get killed, and three times over don't get killed for me. I can't bear losing anyone else right now, and it'll be far worse if they come to harm on my behalf. This is why I _have_ to get trained up as fast as possible, so that we can make an end of this war, and nobody else has to die for _me_."

Silence reigned for a few minutes; then Moody spoke firmly. "Harry, one of the reasons Albus selected me is _because_ I'm hard to kill. I'll do my damnedest to stay alive, but you have to remember that _you_ are the focus of the war effort; we are all pledged to do_ whatever _it takes to get you your victory—and that includes risking or even sacrificing our lives to keep you alive. I'll train you, I'll guide you, and if I can, I'll be there when the time comes: but destroying Riddle is far more important than my survival, and you know that. You're willing to hazard your life: that's all right; facing him will be nothing else but that. But you need to learn _when_ to take risks, and how much, and when to stay out of the way and let someone else do something. We—Albus and Remus and I, and the other members of the Order—know what we are: we are _all_ expendable, if that is what it takes to get you your victory; and the sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for you to work with us. This is _wartime_; there _will_ _be_ casualties. The _only_ _un_acceptable casualty is _you_, until Tom Riddle is completely and thoroughly dead and can't be revived in any way again."

Harry bowed his head. "I _know_ that. I don't have to _like_ it. And it's hard enough to know that even if I do kill him, there might not be anyone else left to fight for afterwards, if you're all dying to get me to him. And what kind of world will we have left, if all the decent and good people are dead? That's not a world I'd want to live in."

"That is why all the rest of us will be fighting, too," Remus said gently. "None of us will go down without a fight; this I solemnly swear to you. We are risking our lives; we are not committing deliberate suicide. You will not be alone, and we will be handling all the rest of the opposing forces. There _will_ be an afterwards, I promise, if you win. I know that he cannot get us all."

"And he will not. This I can promise you as well," Dumbledore added quietly. He stood, came around his desk, and pulled a chair up facing Harry's. He then took both the boy's hands in his own. "I am making plans for afterwards, even as I am planning the course of the war as best I can with the scanty intelligence I have, and the interference from the Ministry, who should be our strongest allies. I do _not_ intend us to give battle to Tom until I know that we _have_ a good chance for victory. This is why I am advancing matters now, while he is still disorganized and does not yet have his own best fighters back. This is why I am cultivating my sources in the Ministry, so that the Vultures are not the only ones left standing afterwards. This is why I am training my seconds, so that if even if I perish, we will still have leaders. This is why I am doing what I am doing for this school. Tom cannot take it while I live, and I intend to see to it that he cannot take it even if I do not." He let go with one hand, and tilted Harry's chin up so that their eyes met; he then laid his hand back on Harry's. "Please, Harry, let me handle the rest of it. Train as well as you can for your part, but let yourself have a life in the meantime. I told you last month that one of your greatest assets is the strength of your heart; don't lose it, but don't let your worry for the rest of us drive you to foolish choices. He cannot beat you, if you can remember how you drove him out this last time. Remus and Alastor will be there for you, and so will the rest of us."

"Even if I fail?" Harry asked bitterly. He could not look away from the sad blue eyes, as much as he wanted to.

"You will only have truly failed in this War if he kills you before you can kill him," Dumbledore replied softly. "Anything else is merely a delay in the victory. _We will help you_—all of us. You cannot lose us, you cannot turn us away from you, and you cannot persuade us that your and Tom's mutual destruction is the only way to win."

Harry's eyes stung. "How can you do it, Sir?" he cried out. "How can you run a war, knowing the cost, and still _care_ so much? This isn't even your first time! How do you manage to stay sane? I know it hurts you, too—and you have so much more to worry about!"

It was Dumbledore who first looked away; his own eyes stung as well. He then turned back to meet Harry's eyes; when he spoke, it was with a deep intensity. He did not let go of Harry's hands. "I can do this, knowing the cost, because I know the much higher cost if I do _not_ do this. It falls to me to do it, _because_ I know how, _because_ it isn't the first time, and _because_ I care so much. I could not face myself if I fail to do what I must. And I maintain my sanity—well, what there is left of it, after all these years as a Headmaster—by _living_ the rest of my life in between what I have to do for the war effort. I enjoy my friends and the time we spend together, _because_ I do not know when it will be the last time. I refuse to sacrifice all of living my life to this war, because to do so will give Tom the advantage." He sat up straighter, and his voice grew more decisive. "And this I know: Tom Riddle can _kill_ me perhaps, although it will be as difficult for him as I can make it, and I can make it _very_ difficult; but I will _not_ let him _defeat_ me. There is a difference. And because I will not let Tom defeat me, I _know_ in my own heart that you can destroy him. You may not _yet_ know how, but you will when it is time. I have faith in you, and I _know_ you will not let us down."

Another hand clasped one of both Dumbledore's and Harry's: Remus had left his seat and knelt on the floor next to Harry's. "Albus is right. You _can_ do your part, and I _will_ be there for you."

"As will I," Moody added. He was already sitting next to Harry; he twisted around and took the other pair of hands in his own. "You're a lot stronger than you think you are, and I say you'll come through just fine. And we aren't all going to die, either; you're underestimating the rest of us."

"I don't want _any_ of you to die," Harry replied. "But I've already agreed to do my part. Just—just protect the rest of them, and I'll deal with protecting myself."

"Fair enough," Moody agreed. "I'll train you, Albus will oversee things, Remus and Snape will train your friends, and we'll win this." He squeezed the hands under his, and let go; after a moment, Lupin and Dumbledore did as well.

_They all believe in me,_ Harry thought to himself. _These trained, blooded and experienced fighters think I'm going to win this thing. I wish I had their faith. I wish I had all their skill, right now._ Aloud, he said, "Thank you; I hope I will be worthy of your faith and trust."

"You will be, I know," Dumbledore replied, as he stood and returned to his desk. "Now, I think it is time for me to get out the forms for us all to sign for the guardianship; as I expect to hear from the Goblins any time, we need to get the documents in order."


	3. Summertime in the Cauldron

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels. SUMMERTIME IN THE CAULDRON 

(Meetings VII: Albus and Severus)

(9 July 1996, afternoon)

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" Severus Snape inquired.

"Yes. It's about your Sixth-Year NEWT Potions class." Albus Dumbledore was studying a scroll on his desk. "You see, the Potions OWL scores have finally come in, and there were not enough recipients of your required O grade to hold a full class; you would have to hold two, of differing levels, and we are trying to _cut_ your schedule a little, not increase it. Also, there have been a number of parents petitioning me to insist that their students have a place in your class."

Snape sighed. "I feared as much." He looked up at Dumbledore for a moment. "I don't suppose I can reserve those worthies for an Advanced Potions seminar, can I?"

"No, sadly, although there is no reason that you cannot do individual mentoring and project work. All the students listed are capable of extra-credit work. Also, such a seminar would be acrimonious at best: you would have three Slytherins, two Gryffindors, two Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs." He pushed the scroll over to Snape.

"Hmm…Granger I expected, but not Mr. Thomas. Boot and Padma Patil are also no surprise. Miss Bones, also no surprise; she is highly motivated, if not so much a pure intellect. Macmillan also makes up for intellect by making much more effort. Malfoy, Nott and Bulstrode." He pushed back the scroll. "I don't suppose that I can relegate the lesser lights to a 'Household Potions' class, can I?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Since these are entering sixth-Years, and that class would be of Fourth-Year curriculum at best, I doubt that they would learn anything useful that they do not already know."

"And if I lower my entrance requirement to an E?"

"Then you have many more; in fact, possibly too many for all four Houses in one class. If you can manage them, you only need to drop the true 'dunderheads' as you call them." He pushed over another scroll; Snape read it through. His eyes widened in shock as he saw some names.

"_Longbottom_ scraped an E??"

"Indeed he did. Remember: Neville _is_ truly gifted in Herbology, and understands plant properties better than most; he is mainly unnerved by you on the practical exercises." Dumbledore pushed his glasses up his nose. "Severus, we are going to have to see what can be done for him. His fear of you is actually a bit past what is warranted, even if you _were_ as much of an ogre as he thinks you are. While he will gallantly endure everything you throw at him, the fear will still come out in forgetfulness and trembling hands."

"And yet another cauldron explosion. Albus, I have not yet had a fatality in my classes in fifteen years of teaching; and in Sixth Year, some of the brews are far more dangerous. I don't want Longbottom to cause the first one." Snape stood up and paced a little. "I _don't_ dislike the boy, truly I do not; but I fear that I may lose my patience too easily and trigger just such an explosion. He needs to learn how to work under adverse conditions. I don't know how much he knows about me, or how much of my attitude toward him is role-playing. Is there any way we can get Honoria Longbottom into the Order? That would help him in the Junior Order, which he will certainly wish to join."

"Nor do I; as to Honoria, she is on my list of recruit prospects for this summer. I also don't think Neville wants to cause fatalities either, not now, when he is coming along so well in all his other classes, especially Defense." The blue eyes were twinkling again. "Hmm…I wonder how he's going to do there, with you as a Professor. He was one of the many from my 'Army' who got a DADA O grade."

"That I am less concerned about; wasn't he one of the ones from the Ministry battle, who actually came out with no worse than a broken nose, and _still_ tried to fight back? In that class, he can face me on more even terms; perhaps that will help. He has more than sufficient motivation, now that he has actually met his family's enemies and fought against Bella, and certainly his fair share of courage." Snape sighed. "He _should_ fear her far more than he does me; she _did _do him harm, and will again if she ever catches him."

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I agree there; I'm willing to bet a Galleon or two that his Boggart will change this year. One's first experience with the wrong end of a Cruciatus Curse—and I am not at all certain it _was_ his first—can be quite motivating, and you at least have not sunk _that_ low in your dealings with him. But his father's wand was broken that night; a new wand of his very own cannot but help. As to your second comment, I suspect that he knows that there is a reason to trust you, simply because Harry knew. But knowing that as an abstract, and dealing with you in person are two quite different things. You have played your role so well, there are quite a few people who truly don't know what side you are on, or if you're still playing both sides and won't truly decide until the end."

Snape's smile was thin. "And many of them are in my House, too; the very audience I must please the most." The smile faded. "And some of them are in the Order, or will be in the Junior Order. For example, Mr. Ron Weasley does not trust me at all, even _knowing_ that I am Order and that his brothers and parents _do_ trust me to an extent. In fact, I suspect I will have to start an Occlumency seminar, as well, for those who know too much; and I do _not_ look forward to it; how I am going cover having two Fifth-Years in with the Sixth-Years will be interesting. Yet I see that he managed an 'E', even on the written examination, despite his lack of focus, and his usual apparent inability to do decent written work without Miss Granger proofreading his essays."

"Or shoving him into doing them in the first place," Dumbledore agreed. "This is one case where I fear his aspirations may be too high. If he cannot manage the work here, he will have a harder time at the Auror Academy." He considered for a moment. "This is also a case where I could almost wish that talents had been switched. Ron is simply not quite as academically gifted as Harry, but I'm not certain if his Quidditch skills are enough for him to turn professional should he not qualify for Auror training. Yet, he _is_ an excellent strategist, and far more Quidditch-focused than is good for his academics. Harry, on the other hand, could probably play for the national team right now, with only a little coaching: but it is far too dangerous for him to do so, until the War is over. A Seeker is simply a good moving target." He took a lemon drop from his jar, and ate it silently. "I think Ron is capable of more, did he but focus on his work more; he is too easily distracted."

"With regard to Quidditch: I understand his favorite team is the Chudley Cannons, and if he applies to them, he would certainly be no worse than they have had in the past," Snape suggested with a thin smile. "Also, if he would simply resolve his situation with Miss Granger, it would do both of them good. I do believe they are the only two people in the entire school that do _not_ know that they fancy each other—never mind that he can never match her intellectually. If even _I_ can see it, when I am the least expert person in the entire place about romance, then he is truly clueless."

"Ah, yes—young love. It does tend to disorient one a bit." The old man's eyes twinkled even more. "I do believe that some of the senior students may be organizing a wagering pool on when they finally _do_ get together."

"And, as usual, if you have no proof, you cannot stop it," Snape replied dryly. He returned to the listings.

"Albus, you mentioned at the Heads meeting that we might offer a summer review course for those who need it. If those who received an E were invited to take the course, and perform acceptably or not, might I have more leeway in my acceptances? The Seventh-Year class will be small enough for one section only; I would truly wish the same of the Sixth-Year."

"That is a definite idea, and may help get some of the parents off my back." Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "There is a problem, though: two of the students whose parents are most insistent are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. While Mr. Crabbe received an E on his Theory grade, his Practical was an A; the reverse was true for Mr. Goyle. What are their aspiraions?"

Snape scowled. "I suspect both are somewhat brighter than they allow anyone to see: but they have been quite well conditioned by their fathers to believe that their highest duty in life is to be Draco Malfoy's guards and thugs while in school, and to receive the Mark as soon as they come of age. For Mr. Crabbe, that will be this coming December; for Mr. Goyle, that will be the following February. I have been slowly trying to get them to show me what they _are_ actually qualified for, other than Quidditch Beaters, which sadly is not a great deal. I do intend to have a serious chat with each of them alone, as I do with all in my House who are prospects for His service; they will need to know just what they are in for, do they take the Mark, and that it is _not_ a game, but far more serious than they currently believe. They also need to know that if they do not meet the Dark Lord's minimum standards of competency, their lives will be rather short: either at the hands of the Ministry if they get caught, or that of the Dark Lord, if they fail. In truth, I'm surprised that their fathers have lasted this long; they have no more intelligence than their sons."

Another, less pleasant thought struck him. "Albus, I am reminded rather unpleasantly of a truly horrifying parallel: that Dursley boy. He's also only good in athletics, he's not all that bright or academically motivated despite attending boarding school, and he's a lifelong bully of the smaller and weaker. Vernon Dursley is actually somewhat brighter than either Crabbe Sr. or Goyle Sr., but is equally as bigoted."

"Then it is as well that Dudley is a Muggle, and did not receive a Hogwarts letter; aside from the fact that Vernon and Petunia would never hear of it at best, and disown him at worst, I could see him Sorted into _your_ House, despite being Muggleborn, and then things would be _really_ complicated." Dumbledore returned to his notes. "But in reference to your own students: would you be amenable to taking them in the summer class? This would be an ideal opportunity for just that conference. Mr. Malfoy would not need the class, as he has already qualified for your NEWT class on his own merits. They need to make their way without being in someone's shadow."

"I would, except for one thing: I was hoping to have some advance-work this summer for the Junior Order members, especially Miss Granger, and I cannot see how I can do both without giving myself away. I have not yet had time to locate a supplemental Potions Professor, who could perhaps teach the Remedial class. If I offer advanced work for her, then I will have to offer it to all my O-level students, and I really do _not_ want Malfoy here this summer, with Potter here and Lucius in Azkaban. Also, some of _them_ will be in the summer Potions class, if they accept. I know Minerva and Filius will also want to have some of them here for research; Pomona has already planned some of what she wants Mr. Longbottom for." He looked up. "Has Filius seen any of these results?"

"Yes, and he says that he will abide by your wishes with regard to his House members."

"And what about Mr. Potter? He is the other hazard; if there are suspect students here this summer I will have to treat him in my usual manner, and I would prefer not to; nor should it be common knowledge that he is in residence here."

Dumbledore sat back, and thought for a few minutes. "Much will also depend on who else _accepts_ the offer for the summer review course. Some of them will be Junior Order prospects as well, such as Mr. Finnegan, Miss Parvati Patil, Miss Abbott, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley; those can be trusted to keep still, if we allow the continuance of the DA over the summer. In fact, doing so will allow the Junior Order to practice under the cover of the DA. Others will be hazards, such as Mr. Zacharias Smith and Miss Parkinson."

"Why Smith? He has no love for the Dark Lord."

"He is also skeptical of both Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, even though he was a member of the DA. Remember, it was Miss Edgecombe who betrayed the DA to Umbridge and the Ministry; her mother works there in the Floo Regulation Department. I strongly suspect that they will be among those who are recruited by the Ministry faction from whence Umbridge came."

Snape shook his head. "At least _that_ one is a Seventh-Year now, and not a prospect for this class."

"Actually, there is one more special case, and that may help or harm us: the Weasley twins. Remember they left here fairly close to the end of the year, six weeks before the NEWTs. I am willing to allow them to study this summer, and to be in your summer class, so that they may take their NEWTs at a special sitting this fall. Theirs is one case where I could prove that they left to avoid unwarranted excessive punishment by Umbridge. Considering the things that they invent, they are certainly qualified in Transfiguration, Charms and Potions; in fact, Filius is almost ready to grant them their Charms NEWT himself, just on the strength of that swamp they left here. My second reason for having them here is to give them more room to do research for Order devices, and my third is to serve as extra guards for Harry." Dumbledore smiled at his Potions Master's look of dismay.

"I can see two problems right there. One is their tendency to prank everyone in sight, and I am one of their favorite targets. The other is their shop; how will they run it and be here as well? That shop is one of our best assets in Diagon Alley."

Dumbledore had an answer. "I have told them that _if_ I accept them, they _must_ refrain from pranking the staff and the other students, especially you, and more especially during the classes and seminars; this is also an Order matter, where my word is far more law than merely being the Headmaster. You and they can work out among yourselves if a _little_ pranking would be acceptable to maintain the cover of your mutual animosity. I will not forbid them from inventing, because that is how they show their true genius in those three core subjects, to say nothing of their value to the Order; in fact, I plan to give them the use of an unused classroom so that they have room to work. As to the shop, they have Mr. Lee Jordan to run it in their absence, and Miss Spinnet and Miss Johnson to assist in between going to Quidditch team tryouts; they are also of age, and they will not be forbidden to Apparate to the shop and back. I have also had that lifetime Quidditch ban lifted; even though they are no longer actual students, it would be unfair of me to leave no time for recreation this summer, and the Quidditch pitch is the best place for them to practice flying skills that may prove useful later. Filius is thinking about starting an aerial combat seminar this summer, by invitation only; they would be perfect to try out some of his ideas."

Snape leaned back in his chair. "So, to sum up: if we all agree, we will have a summer Remedial Potions class, for entering Sixth-Years, to either bring them up to speed for, or weed them out of, the Advanced class; a summer aerial combat seminar; summer independent study projects, involving various students and Professors; and a summer DA, involving any previous DA member who is here for any summer course. Minerva wants Miss Granger for research into secret Hogwarts history, and I want her for that Potions project you have in mind, for which I simply do not have time for either the research or the actual work on top of everything else. Mr. Potter will be assisting the staff in evaluating the Chamber of Secrets as well as attending the Potions class if he applies, the aerial combat seminar, and the summer DA. The summer Potions class will be focused on useful brews for the school stores, which will certainly save time and money. Do I have everything?"

"Yes, that indeed sums up matters in your usual concise fashion."

"Then I had better start on plans and schedules; I will be busy."

"So will I, my dear boy, so will I."


	4. Black Gold

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels.

**BLACK GOLD** (Meetings VIII: Albus, Harry, Goblins et al)

(Wednesday morning, 10 July, 1996)

"Harry, are you ready?" asked Remus Lupin.

"Well, as ready as I can be for a Portkey; I _really_ don't like them," Harry replied ruefully. He tried again to smooth down his hair, and had no more luck then he ever had. "Remus, _why_ couldn't I have inherited Mum's hair as well as her eyes?" he added mournfully.

Remus Lupin chuckled. "Luck of the draw, Cub, luck of the draw. Look, if you'd had Lily's hair, then you would _really_ be hard to pick out around the Weasleys!"

"I think the arrival point will be a little better than most," Albus Dumbledore assured him through his own smile. "And all of us will be there with you."

"Then where _is_ Mad-Eye?" Harry was still a little unsure of Alastor Moody, even after signing the paperwork that made the ex-Auror his new guardian with Remus.

"He went down to the gate and Apparated ahead; he will meet us there," Dumbledore replied. "I think he's doing the advanced scouting for us."

Lupin and Harry both smiled. "Well…" Lupin began slowly, "I suppose _someone_ has to be on-site to maintain…"

"_Constant vigilance!"_ he and Harry finished together.

Dumbledore merely smiled. "Indeed," he responded. "Alastor is nothing if not consistent. Now, gentlemen, shall we?" He held out a small parchment from his desk; Harry could see the Gringotts seal. When they all touched it, he felt the familiar jerk and the Headmaster's office disappeared.

Seated around the long polished table in the Gringotts conference room, besides Harry, Lupin, Moody and Dumbledore, were Arthur and Molly Weasley; Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks; a Wizard Harry didn't know but thought might be Ted Tonks; another Wizard Harry didn't know, who was quite well-dressed and had an air of superiority; Professor Minerva McGonagall; and Fred and George Weasley. At the head of the table sat a Goblin who appeared to be older and much more richly dressed than most Harry had seen at the bank; behind him a liveried Goblin stood, whose function seemed to be that of personal aide. When all were assembled, the Goblin rose.

"Welcome, all of you, to Gringotts, for the reading of the Will of Sirius Black. I am Racknar, and I am the Gringotts Estate Officer for this Estate. Are all of you acquainted?"

"Most of us are," the stranger next to Andromeda Tonks said. "I know the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall and some of the Weasleys, but I'm not acquainted with most of the other persons here, although I can make some good guesses."

"In that case, I will ask you to identify yourselves when I speak your name or otherwise indicate you. Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett Weasley, here in your own right, and to represent your minor children Ronald and Ginevra."

"That would be us," Mr. Weasley said, indicating Molly next to him. She nodded.

"Theodore Tonks, Andromeda Black Tonks, and Nymphadora Tonks."

The Wizard Harry had suspected of being Ted Tonks raised his hand. "That would be we three," he said, as he indicated his wife and daughter. Tonks had left her hair black for the formal occasion, but Harry thought he saw a red-and-gold stripe at one temple.

"You, Sir, next to Mr. Tonks."

"Marcus Julius Montague, representing Narcissa Black Malfoy and Draco Malfoy." This was the other Wizard Harry didn't know; he supposed him to be a Wizarding solicitor.

"Minerva McGonagall, in your own right, and to represent certain underage students of Hogwarts School."

"I am she," the Professor replied primly. Harry wondered what _that_ meant.

"Mr. Frederick Weasley."

Fred raised his hand. "And this is my twin brother George next to me." He pointed to George.

Racknar nodded. "You, Sir, next to Mr. George Weasley."

"Alastor Moody, to provide security." The magical eye was scanning the entire room, resting on Montague for a moment.

Racknar eyed Moody for a moment, and then continued. "Remus Lupin, for both yourself and Mr. Harry Potter."

Lupin raised his hand. "This is Mr. Potter next to me."

"Albus Dumbledore, for himself and as Headmaster of Hogwarts School."

"I am he," the Headmaster acknowledged.

"Very well," Racknar continued. "Since enough of the interested parties or their representatives are now present, I will continue."

The aide brought over a thick roll of parchment and set it in front of Racknar, who pressed his right thumb on the seal. The scroll opened; Racknar again placed his thumb on a seal inside the scroll, and a grey cloud arose from it. The cloud rose, grew to about two feet across, then solidified; the color deepened a little, then paled almost to white. A familiar face appeared there; Harry clenched both hands into fists under the table. _Not now,_ he promised himself. _Not while the Malfoy solicitor is here; and preferably not at all until I get out of here. I am _very_ glad that Professor Dumbledore warned me._ He forced himself to watch as Sirius Black spoke his final message.

"Hello, all," the simulacrum said, with a slight smile. "If you're viewing this, then I am legally and finally deceased, and you are here for the reading of my Will. I am Sirius Orion Black; I hereby swear that I am under no undue influence, am sober and of sound mind, and that this is my Last and final Will and Testament, revoking any others I have made before this date of 15 May, 1996. I am the eldest and only surviving son of the late Antares and Lavinia Crouch Black; my only sibling was my younger brother Regulus who died without known issue in 1980. I have never married, and to the best of my knowledge, I have no children, legitimate or otherwise; so, the direct line of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black dies with me. Therefore, it falls to me at this time to make a proper disposition of the name and assets of the House of Black.

"I reluctantly acknowledge blood kinship with a number of people in the Black family who are not, in my eyes, worthy of receiving so much as a Knut from this estate. Therefore, let it be formally known that I intentionally fail to provide for two of the three daughters of the late Altair and Vanessa Carmichael Black: Narcissa Black Malfoy and Bellatrix Black Lestrange. Bellatrix is a convicted Death Eater, as is her husband Rodolphus; she deserves nothing more or less than a one-way trip back to Azkaban, if she isn't there already. So does he. As far as I know, they had no children at all. Narcissa is married to a Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. At the time of this writing, their son and only child Draco Lucius Malfoy is a minor; I also intentionally fail to provide for him. He'll have enough gold from the Malfoy estates when the time comes; he doesn't need or deserve mine. If there are any representatives here of either Narcissa or Bellatrix or their heirs, they are to be shown out now; Cissa and Bella are disinherited, and they get nothing more from the Black family holdings, other than the dower accounts they received on their marriages; I can't take those back. These proceedings are no longer any of their business."

Racknar touched the seal again; the simulacrum froze. "Mr. Montague, it would seem that your clients are now disinherited; you no longer belong here. Please depart now."

Montague looked as if he would protest, but instead rose and headed for the door. He stopped, looked at Racknar, and said, "Be certain that my clients _will_ hear of this, and that there _will_ be an appeal filed."

"You may file all the appeals you wish," Racknar replied evenly. "However, this is one case where your clients are at a legal disadvantage. As the last male Black of the direct line, regardless of his legal status, Sirius Black was Head of Family, since Alphard Black, Antares Black and Altair Black are now deceased; his wishes, expressed in this quite legal Will, are law, and thus cannot be overturned. Gringotts has already attested to its legality. In case you do appeal, I have further instructions that the most that your clients will receive is the sum of one Knut each, paid in cash, and that they will be paying the expenses of the appeal. Further, I suggest that if you can, that you also inform Mrs. Lestrange or her representatives that since she is first, a convicted Death Eater, and second, was the direct cause of Mr. Black's demise, that she gets nothing whatever."

Montague turned on his heel and left; when the door was closed, Racknar restarted the recording.

"They're gone? Good. I have a lot to give away, and a lot of people to get it.

"To the only one of my Black cousins who was worthy of anything, Andromeda Black Tonks—I, as the Head of Family, hereby revoke your disowning by the Black family; you are now my cousin again. Ten percent of the gold in my Gringotts vault number 711 is to be transferred to your vault. As the only other living Black on the side of the Light, you deserve to be rewarded, and this will make up for you not getting a Black dower account when you married Ted. This is to be shared in even thirds with Ted and Nymphadora—sorry, kid, I know you hate your first name, but this _is_ a legal matter and I have to use it. 'Dora, this will give your family a decent fund to take care of you if you get hurt on the job—and I don't necessarily mean your current official one, either. May you live a long and happy life and find love sometime. Andy, you also get all the Black silver and china, and anything else with the family crest on it that you want; some of that is old and rare, and deserves a good home. Just because I despise most of the family history doesn't mean I can't admire pretty and well-crafted things, or acknowledge their value. If you don't want to keep them, feel free to sell them off; you can probably get a good price for them. And, if you want it, and can get it off the wall, you may have the Black family tapestry currently hanging in the London house. It is of historical interest, if nothing else. Should any of the Tonks family predecease me, the others get their shares; should they all predecease me, the aforementioned assets go into the residue estate.

"To my next nearest other relative, Arthur Weasley: twenty percent of the gold in vault number 711, to be used in equal shares for yourself, your wife Molly Prewett Weasley, and for the benefit of your minor children Ronald Bilius Weasley and Ginevra Molly Weasley. Fix up your house, retire Errol and buy another owl, buy new clothes, get the kids new brooms: live it up a little. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your care of my Godson, Harry James Potter; frankly, you deserve to enjoy some of the good things in life without having to count every Knut. I'm also immensely grateful to you, Molly, for how much work you did on the Black townhouse; it never looked better, to my eyes. You came nearer to making it a home than anyone else ever did, and for that I thank you. I also apologize for arguing with you about Harry. You love him as much as I do, and I know it; I just wanted you to realize he's grown up a lot more than he ever should have had to, and deserves to be treated accordingly. Ron and Ginny, you have been good for my Godson; keep it up. If your parents do buy you new brooms, I expect them to be used playing for the Hogwarts Gryffindor Quidditch team; I like seeing the Cup in Gryffindor hands. Should both Arthur and Molly predecease me, half their share goes into a trust for the benefit of Ronald and Ginevra, administered by William and Charles Weasley until they come of age; the other half is to be split among the other Weasley children, in a similar manner as in the next clause. Otherwise, the money shall be immediately placed into the Weasley family vault, and may you all have much fun with it." Arthur and Molly sat there stunned, except for a sniffle from Molly.

"To the adult Weasley children of Arthur and Molly: William, Charles, Frederick and George will share in equal fifths in another ten percent of the gold. A fifth of this tenth is reserved in trust for Percival Weasley, when and if a majority of his family including Ronald and Ginevra agree that he has sufficiently made amends with them and is a true Weasley again. As of this writing he isn't. In case any of the Weasleys predecease me, their shares devolve to their heirs or descendants, and if there are none, to an even split among the others. The same applies to Percival Weasley's share, should he die before he qualifies for it. Frederick and George, a portion of your shares should be enough to open a branch of your store in Hogsmeade; Hogwarts deserves it, and Zonko's deserves the competition." Fred and George exchanged grins.

"Also to Frederick and George Weasley, I bequeath the Black shares in the Gambol and Japes joke shop of Diagon Alley; I can think of no better heirs for that.

"Another ten percent of the gold shall be used to fund the Black Memorial Scholars' Trust; this is to be used to pay the way for Hogwarts students or prospects who cannot afford tuition, books, equipment, broomsticks, or the many other needs of a student. No student should have to endure secondhand robes that don't fit, a wand that isn't personally fitted, a broom that barely flies, or substandard Potions equipment. The Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Heads of the Four Houses shall administer this fund jointly. The recipients shall be selected on the basis of need, as many as Hogwarts can hold, not on bloodlines or families, legitimacy or lack thereof of birth, nor on which House the said students are Sorted into. A portion of this fund shall also go to the upkeep of orphan Wizard and Witch children living in Wizard or Muggle orphanages, to find them good foster homes, and to pay their way to Hogwarts; I'd like to see the next Tom Riddle averted.

"Another ten percent of the gold is to be given to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to be administered directly by the current Head and Deputy; at the time of this writing, those are Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. This is for upkeep _of_ the school, for supplies not covered in the budget, for major repairs, and for reinforcements as needed; I suggest replacing some of the school brooms as well. This is to go immediately into the Hogwarts general account here at Gringotts. Albus, I have a pretty good idea of what you're going to need to do soon; this is partly to cover that. Use it well; spend every last Knut if you need it to keep not only Tom Riddle's and Lucius Malfoy's hands off that school, but the Ministry's as well. Minerva, if something happens to Albus, I know you'll be in charge; pick a worthy Deputy to help you.

The Sirius image took a deep breath and continued. "Let's see…that adds up to sixty percent of the gold. The remaining forty percent of the coins in my vault number 711 is to be evenly split and given to my last best friend, Remus John Lupin, and my Godson, Harry James Potter, with the request that they _both_ spend some of it on new clothes within a month of receiving this bequest. Neither of you has any business running around in rags or hand-me-downs; you both deserve better. Mr. Lupin's share shall be deposited in his vault immediately. If Mr. Potter is still a minor, as he is an orphan and as I am his Godfather, I appoint the said Remus Lupin and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as trustees of his share of these assets; however, ten thousand Galleons of this shall be immediately deposited in Mr. Potter's current expense account vault for his unrestricted personal use. The remainder of Mr. Potter's share shall stay in vault number 711; that will also go to Mr. Potter, under the same conditions. Should the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore predecease me, or should they both die during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Arthur Weasley and Minerva McGonagall as successor trustees for the duration of Mr. Potter's minority.

"That's the cash; now, to the rest of the goods. First, the London townhouse shall go to my Godson Harry James Potter, with Albus Dumbledore as the trustee for so long as he is legally a minor. I appoint Remus John Lupin as the caretaker of the house, with a salary of ten thousand Galleons per annum, plus all needed upkeep expenses to be paid from the estate. Two conditions apply to this bequest: that the said Remus John Lupin and Harry James Potter shall have immediate and lifetime rent-free residence rights in that house, and that the said Albus Dumbledore may continue using it for its current purpose until it is no longer needed, or until he is obliged to go elsewhere. All of these persons may do as they please with the furniture and contents of the house, including my clothes and anything left of my Marauders days; they have my full and complete permission to destroy or otherwise get rid of anything that they find unworthy of continued existence therein—such as the House-Elf heads and the portraits of my ancestors. I recommend a freezing charm on Mum first; I don't know if there are any other paintings of her around, and I'd really rather she not escape the house; she knows too much. The same goes for most of the others, except for that of Phineas Nigellus Black; that one has actually been helpful. As to the hippogriff Buckbeak, I recommend finding him another home; he's too big to be cooped up in a house bedroom and needs to go somewhere he can fly. Albus, maybe you will have some ideas.

"The house comes with the services of one House-Elf, Kreacher by name. He is absolutely useless as a House-Elf, and is only loyal to Mum's portrait and those of the deceased Black ancestors. A possible solution to this is to banish him permanently to one locked and sealed room of the summer cottage in Wales, with all the crazy portraits and a regular ration of food, and let him take care of _them_ for the rest of his unnatural life. He is bound to the House of Black, but he endangers those who will be living in the London house. I cannot afford for him to go to the Malfoys or the Lestranges, I dare not free him, and I'm not going to wish him on Andy and Ted. Let him serve the ones he wants to serve, away from those whom he endangers. If he wishes to destroy himself instead, let him do so; it would be a mercy to himself and all concerned. I charge Albus Dumbledore with enforcing this, in the name of the new Master of the House of Black, my Godson Harry James Potter."

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "This will be done. Kreacher is already guilty of helping to betray his Master to death, even if it was at the hands of another Black. I will consult with the senior Hogwarts House-Elves for the proper solution."

"To Hermione Jane Granger, my Godson's other best friend: as many as she likes of the books in the Black family house, with the proviso that she catalogue them. A stipend of five thousand Galleons a year comes with this. If Miss Granger is still a minor, as her parents are Muggles, I appoint Minerva McGonagall as trustee and overseer for this bequest. Professor, I know you will help her avoid the truly dangerous books. I do suggest that you give any of the truly dangerous Potions books to your colleague, Severus Snape. While he and I have truly despised each other for many reasons from the first day we met to the time of this writing, I must still acknowledge _one_ good thing about him: the man _is_ the Potions genius of our generation, and he has made Remus Lupin's life much easier by making him the Wolfsbane Potion. Anything that Miss Granger and Professor Snape do not want can stay in the House; if the residents don't want them, they can go to the Hogwarts Library. I'm sure you'll be able to tell which ones go in the Restricted Section, which will be a majority of them."

"Hermione will _love_ that," Harry whispered to Lupin, who smiled.

"One last minor bequest: there was a time when four of us held various bits of personal property in common, under the name of the Marauders. These persons were James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and I, Sirius Black. Anything remaining of that time shall go in equal shares to Remus Lupin and to Harry Potter as James' heir; Peter is officially disinherited as a traitor and a Death Eater, and is stripped of his right to be called a Marauder. I swear on my honor as a Wizard that it was Peter who was the Secret-Keeper who betrayed James and Lily Potter to the Dark Wizard Tom Riddle alias Lord Voldemort, and not I. He framed me for the murders of himself and twelve innocent people; I denounce _him_ as the murderer, to be taken wherever found and punished. He was still alive at last report and is a Death Eater in Lord Voldemort's service.

"The entire rest of the estate, real, personal and business holdings, shall go to my Godson Harry James Potter, with Remus John Lupin and Albus Dumbledore as trustees for the duration of his minority. I ask that the Goblin Estate Manager, one Racknar, be consulted for investment planning and advice, and that the current Wizarding legal firm be continued in employment. They know the details and value of the holdings far better than I ever did.

"As I have no children of my blood, I therefore declare my Godson, Harry James Potter, to be my full heir to the Black line. Mr. Potter shall inherit the Black family seat in the Wizengamot, the Black family seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, the title of Lord Black, any other titles, positions or honorifics that are inheritable in my line of the Blacks, and all the other rights and privileges that go with them. Until he comes of age, Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore, who shall make arrangements to train Mr. Potter in what he needs to know with regard to his rights and responsibilities, shall hold all these in trust. Should Mr. Potter predecease me, or die during his minority, the estates and titles shall revert to Nymphadora Tonks. Should the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore both predecease me or die during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Minerva McGonagall and Andromeda Black Tonks as successor trustees. Should Mr. Potter, Andromeda Tonks, and Nymphadora Tonks all perish without other heirs, the title and estates revert to Arthur Weasley, and after him his descendants in legal order; should all of the above die as stated, the title will be declared extinct. Remus Lupin shall then inherit the seats on the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board, but as he is legally barred from having children of his own owing to his condition of lycanthropy, they shall go to whomever he shall bequeath them upon his decease. Should a miracle happen and his condition be cured, or should the legal restrictions on Werewolves be lifted, then he shall be the next full heir after the Weasleys.

"That takes care of the Black holdings. Now, if you're wondering why I'm so big on successor trustees, I have a reason: I am the _only_ trustee of the Potter estate, and it falls to me to make that disposition now as well." _That_ got everyone's immediate attention; no one knew that Sirius would have this in his Will.

"As I was in prison or on the run for almost the entire time from the death of James and Lily Potter to the time of this writing, I have been unable to properly administer that estate, as I should have. James and Lily didn't figure on me not being around for Harry; had I been able to be, a great deal might be different. Now, I _can_ deal with it; the Gringotts Goblins will take care of the details. So—by the terms of the Wills of James and Lily Evans Potter, both now being deceased as of 31 October 1981, their entire estate, including both joint and individual assets, is bequeathed to their only child, Harry James Potter. That includes the land in Godric's Hollow and probably a great deal more; James left the files in the main Potter vault. I am Harry Potter's Godfather. In case I become deceased, as I must be if you are hearing this, then I now declare Remus John Lupin to be my successor as Harry Potter's Godfather and Wizarding guardian. I realize that as he is a registered Werewolf, the current laws may forbid him from accepting this position alone. Therefore, I appoint Albus Dumbledore as custodian of the other position; he shall appoint a co-guardian with the consent of the said Remus Lupin, and with the consent of Mr. Potter. He may appoint himself if no one else suitable is available, but I ask him to please appoint a successor if he does; he is the oldest of all of us. Should the said Albus Dumbledore die before this appointment is made, I appoint Arthur Weasley as the custodian, with the same conditions."

Dumbledore raised his hand; the Goblin halted the display. "I have already done so," he said softly. "This is the actual reason for the presence of Mr. Alastor Moody; he is the new co-guardian with Remus Lupin. We did not wish to speak of it in front of Mr. Montague." Racknar nodded, and continued the display.

"I also appoint the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore as my successors as trustees for the Potter estate for the duration of Mr. Potter's minority, with the stipulation that Mr. Potter shall be fully informed of what his Potter inheritance entails immediately upon locating and sorting the paperwork. Should Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore both perish during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Arthur Weasley and Minerva McGonagall as successor trustees; should all of them perish, I appoint William Weasley and Andromeda Tonks. All of these appointments, save that of Remus Lupin as successor Godfather, shall expire upon the seventeenth birthday of Harry Potter, which is 31 July 1997.

"As the trustee for the estate of Lily Evans Potter, I also declare that she intentionally failed to provide for her sister Petunia Evans Dursley and her heirs; I concur. Petunia and her husband Vernon never spent a penny more than they absolutely had to on Harry's upkeep; they deserve nothing whatever now. There is one exception: that if the said Petunia Evans Dursley or her children produce a Wizard or Witch child, then that child shall be the beneficiary of a trust fund to be set up when the occasion arises, and that he or she will have the option of a Wizarding education and upbringing. I will not have another magical child mistreated by those Dursley bigots. That fund shall be administered by whoever shall be running the Potter estate; custody of the child, or children as the case may be, shall also be determined as needed.

"Should Mr. Potter die during his minority, and without a Will, the Potter estate shall revert to the next nearest of kin, _other_ than the Dursleys; at this time, I do not know who that is. Should he make a Will, I direct that it shall be admitted as valid under the same standards as if he were an adult; I declare him able to do so. In such a case, if he then dies, then the Potter estate shall fall to whomever he shall bequeath it. Harry, if you're listening to this, do yourself a favor and make a Will; the Goblins will help you, as will the Black estate solicitors. James and Lily would not want their assets dragged into court for years." Harry nodded assent.

The image of Sirius paused, stretched and smiled. "That takes care of all the formalities. Now, I have a few informal requests. Albus, if you're here, you'll find a box of letters in the lowest right-hand drawer of the desk in my study; please distribute them as addressed. Remus, see if Hagrid ever gave back my motorbike, or if it's still put away; you and Harry can have that." Both men nodded.

"The rest of you—do what you like; spend my money and enjoy my things. I know that the war situation is getting dire; feel free to use Black money and assets to fight against Tom Riddle alias Voldemort and his allies, and help ensure that he is put down for good this time. But take time for some fun when you can, and please remember me as well as you can." The smile faded. "And while this is _especially_ addressed to Harry and Albus, there are others who need to hear this: I know that it's likely I won't live long, and if so, I'll fall in battle, I hope. Unless you, yourself, aimed the wand and called the curse, you are _not_ to blame for my demise. That is called the misfortunes of war; people die. I just hope I died well and took a decent honor guard with me; if I did, or even if I didn't, have a drink or two in my name, let me go, and keep up the fight until we win. Be well, all of you, and I hope not to see too many of you any time soon over here." The image smiled again, waved, and faded out.

Harry was stunned. He had known that Sirius was wealthy, and the last direct scion of a family equating to Wizarding nobility; but he had not known _how_ wealthy. Then there were the Potter family assets…he looked helplessly at Lupin. "Moony, what am I supposed to _do_ with all that?" he asked in a small voice.

"Enjoy it," Lupin replied gently; he was not a little stunned himself. "That is what Siri would have wished for most of all: that we _enjoy_ his legacy and use it for worthy and happy pursuits." He took one of Harry's still-clenched fists in his hands. "Harry, because you are legally a minor, you don't have to deal with this yourself yet. Let Albus and me manage this for you; I promise a summary of the holdings as soon as I can find it. Then we can decide things such as what you want to do with them."

"But how am I going to explain things to people?"

"You don't; it isn't anyone else's affair what you do, or don't do, with what is rightfully yours."

Charlie Weasley leaned over to comment. "Harry, think of it this way: that's all that gold that the Malfoys will _never_ lay their hands on. Think of how that's going to twist Draco's knickers. _You_, a halfblood, are now just as noble as _he_ is; as the Black heir, you're his social equal. You're the next Lord Black, on your seventeenth birthday, and you're entitled to use it as a courtesy title now; Draco's still just the Malfoy heir, and won't be Lord Malfoy until Lucius kicks off." He grinned. "All you need to do is to hire someone to help you buy some fancy clothes and polish up your manners, and to teach you how to use your places in the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board, and pretty soon you'll be able to look the Minister of Magic in the eye and tell him to stuff it. He'll want to kowtow to _you_ instead of the Malfoys, because _you_ will be able to donate big sums to good causes the way Lucius does and use your image for _your_ purposes." The others smiled at Charlie's assessment.

Tonks came around the table and took Harry's shoulders. "And don't you _dare_ perish on us, Harry," she said softly. "I don't _want_ the title or the estates under those circumstances."

Harry turned sad, tear-filled eyes up to her. "You know I'd gladly trade it _all_ to get Sirius back alive."

She squeezed his shoulders. "I know, kid, I know—so would I. But now you will never have to deal with those hideous Muggles ever again. That's what money is good for: it enables you to _do_ things."

"But right now, Harry and Remus need to sign an assortment of paperwork," Dumbledore reminded them; he was already busy scrawling his signature on parchments.

Some time later, Harry and his guardians were back at Hogwarts. Moody was the first to comment.

"Albus, now I understand what you told me yesterday," he said thoughtfully.

"What, specifically?" asked the Headmaster. He went around his desk to one side, and set up a table with a tea service; with a command, all the plates filled and all four Wizards fell to. It had been a long day for all of them.

"That I wouldn't have to support Harry on my pension: that he had enough to take care of the house, and us" replied the ex-Auror. "With him in full possession of the house, we can strengthen the wards and make it a lot safer." He sighed. "I guess I'd better close up my place and think about moving into the Black House; I'll need to be with Harry for training and lessons and that's the safest place bar here that I know of."

"Please do, Mad-Eye—if I can still call you that," Harry said quietly. "There are more than enough bedrooms. And you can help me sort through the Dark Artifacts there. Once we clear out all the stuff we don't need, we'll have enough room to have lots of people in there, for as long as we need to."

"Of course you can, lad; just because I'm your guardian now doesn't make me less of your friend," Moody assured him. "What you need to know right now, however, is that the reading of the Will has made your inheritance a binding Magical Contract. We'll all need to go over there some time very soon and formally take possession of it in your name as the new Lord Black." He gave one of his grimace-smiles. "Maybe this will make it easier to get rid of that harridan in the hallway. About all she's good for is a door alarm, and I can think of better ones."

"Severus suggested getting Bill Weasley and Filius Flitwick to try and break the Sticking Charm," Lupin remembered. "The need for getting rid of Madam Black, before someone loses their temper and blows the wall away, was about the _only_ thing he and Siri saw eye to eye on."

"That's not enough," Moody growled. "That portrait has to be _destroyed_ totally, not just unstuck; it's a security risk."

"I agree," Lupin replied. "I suggested to Severus that he could devise a potion to remove the image from the canvas."

"Turpentine," suggested Harry. "It's a Muggle chemical used for paint thinning and cleaning off paint. If Magical means don't work, maybe Muggle ones will. It's inexpensive, and is widely available."

Dumbledore smiled. "Then we will try whatever we need to use." He grew more serious. "I will say that you must first, however, _tell_ Madam Black that you are the new Lord Black and the heir; this will help with the taking of possession. You will also have to call Kreacher to you, so that you can assert your Mastery. I know this is personally repugnant to your way of thinking, but it is necessary; _you_ must command him to stay at the house and obey you as the new Master. No one else has the power, by Sirius' order, unless something happens to you."

Harry hung his head. "I know. But I'll want all of you with me when I do. I don't know if I can help my reaction when I see him next, knowing what I know about what he did; I'll need you three to keep me from wringing his neck myself."

"We will be there," Dumbledore replied gently. "I will also bring with me some of the senior Hogwarts House-Elves; I will want their advice on the proper procedure, if Kreacher refuses to accept the penalty for betraying his Master, even if it was to another member of the family."

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	5. Another Hand on the Ladle

Disclaimers: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me. Antonia Dumarest _is_ mine, as are the assorted Snape and Dumarest relatives, and may be used with permission; e-mail me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels.

MORE ARRIVALS: ANOTHER HAND ON THE LADLE (Arrivals & Meetings IX) 

(Thursday, 11 July 1996, morning)

I. Albus and Tish

On a fine July morning, Albus Dumbledore was going through his never-ending pile of correspondence. Most of it was Hogwarts business: inquiries, supply lists, and such. A substantial part was official correspondence from the Ministry or the International. Another large chunk was fan mail; being whom and what he was tended to attract Witches of all ages (and a few Wizards), regardless of his own respectable tally of years. Yet another chunk was letters begging for advice from "the greatest Wizard in the World"—many of those asking about problems more suited to the attention of the local Healers. And, once in a while, he received a letter from a friend…

_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry_

_My dear Albus:_

_It has been a fair number of years since we last heard from each other, and many more since we last saw each other; the world has changed in many ways, and yet some things are constant. I find myself back in the British Isles now, after many years in France and the United States. I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience, either there at Hogwarts or nearby. Or, if you would like to visit my current home, you may Floo or Apparate here for perhaps a nice tea; your owl will find me with your reply. I wish to discuss a number of matters possibly of interest to both of us. If you do come, do feel free to bring a tin of lemon drops; the ones in America just aren't the same._

_Sincerely and fondly yours,_

_Tish _

(Antonia L. Dumarest) 

P. S.: If by chance you do not remember me, or need a proof of my identity, my dear late husband personally sold you the Dragons' Blood you used in your researches of its twelve uses.

Dumbledore sat back with a delighted smile. He had not seen his old friend in many years indeed—ever since some decades before she and her husband, Robert Dumarest, left France in the shadow of the rise of both the Dark Wizard Grindelwald and the Muggle Hitler about the same time. The Dumarest family was the owner of one of the largest Wizarding Apothecaries in the world; it was noted for not only its vast selection, but also its stern refusal to takes sides in Pureblood politics or to favor Dark Wizard would-be dictators. Rather than either being exterminated or co-opted by Grindelwald, they simply left for the United States, where that Dark Wizard had not yet gotten a foothold—and never did, thanks to Dumbledore himself making an end of him in 1945. They had exchanged a few letters since then, but none in the last twenty or so at least, that last being the notice of the demise of Robert Dumarest; he had been some years older than she, and Tish was near Dumbledore's own age. As this was during the first Voldemort War, Dumbledore had been unable to attend the funeral, and had lost touch with her family. Dumarest and most of the children, grandchildren and so forth had attended either Beauxbatons or one of the American schools, but Tish herself had attended Hogwarts, as did most of the rest of her birth family; she had been in Ravenclaw, not far behind Dumbledore himself. She had been noted for a great many contributions in the field of Potions, especially medicinal Potions; some of her research had led to improvements in many standard medicines. Marrying the then-head of the Dumarest Apothecarists was a natural match. These days, not much was heard from her; some of their descendants appeared to be carrying on the Potions research end while the rest ran the company.

An idea struck Dumbledore—this was the answer to something he needed, if she was willing and able. In any case, he dearly wanted to see her again. There were not so many living contemporaries of his that they could afford to miss each other; still, a _little_ caution was called for, in these uncertain times. He took up quill and parchment and wrote.

_Antonia L. Dumarest_

_Dear Tish—_

_I would be more than delighted to take tea with you! I agree we have much to discuss, and _many_ years of gossip to catch up on. Shall we say today at four? If you would be kind enough to Floo or Apparate to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, I will bring the requested lemon drops._

_Sincerely and fondly yours, _

Albus, etc.

That Thursday afternoon, he went to the Three Broomsticks, and waited by the fireplace. A few minutes later, a tall, slender and quite elderly Witch came through, who still had a mature beauty about her and much dignity—which said dignity broke down when after formally shaking hands, she grinned and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Albus! You're looking much better than I thought you were! The papers would have you badly injured in your confrontation last month!" Madam Dumarest smiled at her old friend, seeing the full-force twinkle in his eye, the bloom of health in his cheek, and the snow-white hair and beard that was at least a foot longer than the last time she'd seen him. No trace remained of its youthful auburn.

"Nonsense, my dear; the reporters were not there, so how could they know who was or was not injured?" Dumbledore returned an answering smile. "I was barely winded and had a bruise or two—that's all; a good night's sleep fixed me right up. What _are_ you reading these days? Even the _Daily Prophet_ never got _that_ bad; they were mainly focusing on my mental state last year." His smile dimmed a little. "You may have been thinking of either the children and Aurors, some of whom _were_ hurt, or Minerva at Hogwarts a few days previously; she was hit with four Stunners at once, trying to stave off the undeserved Ministry sacking of my Care of Magical Creatures Professor."

"I heard rumors about that," Madam Dumarest replied more seriously, as he led her to a private room where the tea things were set out. "Will she be all right? I remember how you used to laud her Transfiguration skills when she was your student."

"Yes, she is still on light duty, but will be fully recovered by the beginning of term." Dumbledore poured the tea, and took two of the excellent biscuits. "Now, my dear, where _did_ you get that accent? There is an American overlay that you didn't have before that I'm not familiar with."

"Georgia, dear; that's where the family moved to live. We _work_ in Wizarding New York, as that's where the commerce is centered, but the city isn't a good place to _live_ in, even in the Magical neighborhoods. Upstate New York tends to be as bad as Scotland in the winter. Robert and I bought a fine mansion—what they call 'antebellum Plantation style'—and raised children, grandchildren and Potions plants there."

The two old friends exchanged where-are-they-now stories for some time, until she said, "Albus, I still haven't gotten to the point yet, and I should."

"My dear Tish," Dumbledore replied gallantly, "as far as I am concerned just getting together was enough of a point to make this visit. There are not so many of us of our age group any more to share some of these memories. But I sense something more serious; what is on your mind?"

She put down her cup. "Albus, I want to join your Order of the Phoenix."

That surprised Dumbledore; her family had managed to avoid both the Grindelwald conflict and the first Voldemort war by simply having nothing to do with either side, but supplying medicines and such to the Aurors. "Why you, and why now?"

"My brother's family is, as you know, a bunch of Dark Pureblood bigots firmly in the camp of Tom Riddle, and Grindelwald before him. I saw what Riddle did the first time around; I don't want to let him rise again without helping this time. There are enough of my descendants and collateral relatives to keep the business going; Robert is gone these twenty years now and more, so he cannot object; and I find myself with too much time on my hands. I don't want to just do research, although I can; I want to help. I'm not too old to either aim a wand or mix a potion, and I am still a competent nurse. I also still own enough of the company to get supplies for both the Order and Hogwarts, as much as you want, at a lower cost. I am willing to take the Oath, as well; let the Phoenix judge me."

"Do you know what is happening now?"

"At least six different versions; tell me the true one, please."

The next hour was spent in his giving her a concise retelling of Tom Riddle's fall and second rise, leaving out only a few critical details that he would tell her if her Oath was accepted.

"So—the Minister's a twit who thinks you're out for_ his_ job, the main paper blows hot and cold, and you haven't nearly the forces you really need to give Riddle what he deserves. Sounds familiar." She smiled.

"Anything else?"

Dumbledore's smile dimmed. "Let me give you fair warning: I'm preparing my school for war, Tish," he said soberly. "I believe that we could be—no, we _will_ be--invaded, and I do not intend to lose Hogwarts to any Dark Wizard. This is the why of the summer researchers; not only do we need the castle history and layout researched, plus some advanced Potions, but also the teens to be involved are among the most at risk from Tom. This is why the summer Potions class; those taking it need to bring their OWL grades up to the O my Potions Master demands for his NEWT students, but the usable brews will go into the stockpiles, and will be heavily biased toward medical supplies. This is why we are going to have summer Defense practical seminars, led by Aurors. This is why Filius Flitwick—remember, the Tournament Dueler? He's the Charms Master, and Head of Ravenclaw—is starting an aerial combat seminar. And this is why I'm looking healthy; I have personally gone back into training. I expect to have to face Tom at least once more myself, and losing is not an option."

Madam Dumarest smiled. "I'm in, Albus; just say the word. I haven't done anything even remotely exciting in decades."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with pleasure. "How soon can you be ready? As it happens I _do_ have a task for which you would be suited, but it might be beneath your rank as a Potions Mistress."

"As soon as this afternoon," she replied eagerly. "I need to close the house and pack my bags, but that won't take long. If where I'm going has no Potions supplies, I'll want to get some in and set up a lab; I'm camping in a little family-owned cottage that really isn't suitable to work in."

"Then I must ask you this: what would you think of teaching at Hogwarts?"

She started, eyes opening wide. "I thought Aurelius' great-grandson was the Potions Master there? What happened to him?"

"Nothing—but I wish to split his duties between upper-level Potions and upper-level Defense Against the Dark Arts, at which he is equally competent, and I will need someone for the lower forms in Potions; I have one for Defense. He is seeking a _new_ Master or Journeyman on my behalf, as the new hire was to be subordinate to him, but you are too high-ranking to be such; I was also hoping for assistance in the summer restock brewing. And, before you ask—the report that I cleared his name of being a Death Eater at the end of the First War is true. He _was_ foolish enough to take Tom's Mark, but saw his errors after about a year, and turned to me; he has been my spy ever since, in Tom's Inner Circle. Tom thinks he's _his_ spy in _my_ camp, and he's been walking that tightrope since before Riddle's first fall."

Madam Dumarest's eyes grew wide. "Oh, Rowena's quill—he must have been barely twenty the first time around!"

"Yes, and he is not yet forty now. I would like to know this: have you ever met? Are you on good terms if so?"

She shrugged. "I doubt it; his father has no more good opinion of me than his grandfather did, so it's unlikely I've ever met him. I've seen his name in the Potions journals, as he has mine, and we've exchanged a few letters, but I have no idea if he knows _which_ Dumarest I am, or that we're more than distantly related. I use 'A. L. Dumarest' in my letters and articles, and at least three of Robert's relatives have those initials, one of them male; there are rather a lot of us, and not all of them were Rob's and mine."

Dumbledore smiled. "Then this _might_ be a pleasant surprise for him. Merlin knows he needs all the support he can get, although he would deny it to the skies."

"Another stubborn Snape, huh?" she laughed.

"Indeed; this is part of what makes him valuable to me. He has also earned fairly every one of those academic awards, and many more that he will never get. The man is brilliant; his mother was a Rosier, but not one of the vicious ones; you know of his father. Severus has not had an easy time of it, and it shows in his customary attitude to the world of a snarky bastard—but he is one of the strongest people I know." He took her hands in his. "Under those conditions, and if the Phoenix accepts you—will you come to Hogwarts? There are young people who have a hard time believing that we elders still know how to stir a cauldron."

"As if you ever forgot, after all that time with Nicholas," she smiled back, giving his hands a return squeeze.

"Indeed. If I ever needed to, I could teach Potions as well as History of Magic, Transfiguration and Defense; however, I have more than enough to do running the place to be more than an occasional fill-in." He released her hands, and stood, offering his arm. "Come back to Hogwarts with me, and then you may make an informed decision. Also, the Phoenix you must please lives there. If you decide to stay, you may select some quarters. Then you can go back home and pack before you come to stay. The sooner we begin, the sooner you can get started on several projects we have."

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II. Albus, Tish and Severus

(Later, that same day)

"Severus, a word?" Dumbledore called out to his Potions Master in the corridor outside his office. Snape halted and turned toward the Headmaster.

"A problem, Albus?" he asked.

"No, rather a solution to one of our situations: I have found us another Potions Professor, a Mistress. Not only that, she has just been cleared by Fawkes; she is joining the Order."

Snape's eyes opened wide. "That _is_ good news; of those names I've seen on the list so far, no one of those who passed the Dark filter comes anywhere near my minimum standard, and the one I _have_ managed to contact does not want to teach, deeming it beneath him. Does she accept the conditions?"

"Yes. Not only that, she has connections to the Dumarest Apothecaries; she can get us better supplies at lower prices and faster shipping."

Snape was intrigued now. "Who is she? A Dumarest married into my family back a few generations, but my father's line despised them for not upholding 'proper Pureblood values and cultural standards'. It didn't stop him from buying from them, though; they really _are_ the best for many things. She may be a cousin of mine, a few degrees removed."

"You've read her articles under the name of A. L. Dumarest. Come up and meet her; I think you'll be pleased." With that, Dumbledore turned back to the gargoyle guarding the stairs to his office; Snape followed him.

When they arrived at the top, Dumbledore opened the door and the two entered. "Tish, here he is: this is my Potions Master, Severus Snape. Severus, this is Potions Mistress Antonia Leticia Dumarest." He gestured toward the elderly Witch sitting in one of his guest chairs.

Snape nodded politely. "A pleasure, Madam," he said, as he took her hand and bowed over it. When he rose, his eyes met hers—and his widened in shock at meeting a mirror set of the typical Snape onyx eyes—set in a face he had last seen in a painting a long time ago. Then the name sank in.

"Surely you cannot be she! You are the older double of a painting at Snape Manor of my father's Great-Aunt Antonia! Are you her granddaughter?"

"Albus, you never told me he was such a flatterer," she smiled. "Or did you think that Albus was the only one who was functional at his age? After all, one of _his_ NEWT examiners was testing the children here just last month. I _am_ your father's Great-Aunt Antonia; Albus calls me 'Tish' after my middle name of Leticia, as he did when we were in school together. And _I _am the 'A. L. Dumarest' you were writing to about the modification on the Wolfsbane Potion; you never _did_ get back to me on that. Do sit down, dear; we have much to discuss, and from what Albus says, not a lot of time to set up plans." Her voice had the honey accent of the American South, overlaid on the basic educated British English.

Snape sat down in a daze. Bits and pieces of family history came back to him; his great-grandfather Aurelius had an older sister, who had turned her back on the family's Dark orientation and married the head of the Dumarest Apothecaries, themselves firmly Light-Side or at worst neutral. But not much was known about what happened to her after the family left France for the United States, more than sixty years previously. If this was indeed she, then this was a Potions Mistress who outranked him, and was nearly as old as Dumbledore! _Where_ had the Headmaster _found_ her?

"Albus, surely you do not intend to make her my subordinate," he protested. "Leaving aside the family relationship, Madam Dumarest is a Potions Mistress of at _least_ two grades _above_ me, with far more experience. And if she has kept up as she was, you could easily _replace_ me with her with a net gain in competence!" It was a measure of both his shock and his respect for the lady that he so willingly allowed that someone was much better than he at Potions.

"Nonsense, Severus, if I may call you by your name," Madam Dumarest said gently, before Dumbledore could answer. "I wrote to Albus for a meeting, and offered my services to the Order in any capacity in which I may help. You have been the Potions Master here for fifteen years, and you are still young. I have no intention of replacing you, dear; I'm here because there is only one of you and too many things for you to do, and you and Albus both need someone else on hand whom you can trust with your cauldrons, your children, and your secrets. I can either take the summer Potions class for you, or mentor your researchers, so that you don't have to do both; Albus has been filling me in on the political difficulties. I can take your upper-level classes when you have to be away, or when you are filling in for Professor Lupin; this way Albus doesn't have to. My title can be Assistant Potions Mistress; you are still the Potions Master here. What we are on the outside is not always relevant to the school hierarchy." She gave him a kindly smile, and took his hand. "Also, Albus has told me the truth about you, and I am more than pleased that at least _one_ of Aurelius' descendants had the brains to break away from the likes of Riddle, who—if everything I've heard is true—is personally worse than Grindelwald was, if not so well organized. I don't _care_ what your father thinks; as far as _I_ am concerned, and as the Eldest of the family—and since I am a widow, and was never formally disowned, I am still Eldest--_you_ are the Snape I choose to acknowledge, and as such, you may call me 'Aunt Antonia' when we are not calling each other 'Professor'."

Snape sat there, frozen in shock, for another minute; then he withdrew his hand from hers, and buried his face in both hands. This had been his month for shocks, and he had never been fond of surprises. First had been the astounding letters from Potter, and the events which transpired from that; now this, a relative from the past whom he'd never imagined meeting, who was already deep into Albus' plots and schemes, _and_ who knew his dangerous secret, _and_ was holding out the hand of friendly kinship—something that had been absent from his blood family for more years than he cared to think of. What next?

The Headmaster chuckled. "Tish, I do believe you've rather shocked him," he said. "He's already had several this month, and he's a bit…overwhelmed."

"A _bi_t?" Snape returned, with some of his usual acidic bite. He sat up and glared at Dumbledore. "Your gift for understatement, Albus, is in full force today. I had no idea that Madam Dumarest was even _alive_, let alone fit to teach."

"Severus, she is only two years younger than I am, and you know that I am in good health. Why _can'_t she be alive?" Dumbledore's voice still had a smile in it.

"Alive, _and_ on our side, _and_ willing to come out of a nice peaceful retirement into a war zone, _and_ willing to teach the dunderheads that you've so kindly taken off my hands?" Snape growled. "_That_ sets off a good many alarm bells in my suspicious mind. You've also told her about me; now she'll have to have Occlumency training along with those children who know too much. Merlin knows what the Dark Lord will do, when he finds out about her being here, and who she is: he'll want to conscript her or kill her! She's born a Snape, and better at Potions than I am; that makes her a target for recruitment. She can certainly take my place in the classroom; but she _cannot_ take my place as a spy! And, last and worst, _I_ will have to be the first one who tells him about her! If he finds out that a relative of _mine_ has joined with Albus at the school from anyone _else_, I will be fortunate indeed if I survive!"

"_That_ should be the least of your worries, dear," Madam Dumarest said. "Assuming that you _do_ have to tell Tom Riddle which Dumarest I am, I sincerely doubt that he will bother me—once it is pointed out that his people will be cut off and blacklisted from any potions supplies that we sell if he does not take 'no' for an answer. I have too much clout in the company. I am certain that among our customers are some of his buyers, and not just you. We have too many monopolies on some things, and our quality is still second to none. If he wants you to make the rare brews I am certain he needs for nefarious purposes, he will have to deal with us.

"As for the rest of your comments: Yes, I am alive and quite healthy for my age. I have been firmly Light Side all my life; that is why I parted ways with my brother, your great-grandfather Aurelius. Albus and I knew each other in school; I was in Ravenclaw, two years behind him, and we have been good friends ever since we met. Aurelius was in the year behind me, in Slytherin. Yes, I am long retired: I am also bored silly. I have done everything in the company that there is to do, and now I'm in the way of the young people. I do still love research, but I want there to be a _point_ to it. And while I haven't taught in many years, I did enjoy it when I did. I need something to _do_ so that I don't perish from disuse and boredom—and Albus needs me. I don't fear a war zone; the United States has had Dark Wizards, too, and I've done my fair share there. I still have my ParaMediWitch certificate—that's like a battlefield surgeon, more than a nurse but not quite a full Healer—and I can help your school nurse as well as teach. Oh yes—I am a qualified Occlumens already, but I'm certain that you and Albus can test my skill level and perhaps improve it."

"And has Albus told you of what _you_ are risking?" Snape demanded. "Do you have any idea just _what_ this war is all about, and what the Dark Lord is capable of? You are still one of the foremost Potions Mistresses alive, and should be protected!"

Madam Dumarest was calm. "I do, indeed," she replied. "Remember, my husband and I were the ones who took Dumarest Apothecaries out of France and to the United States upon the advent of Grindelwald. My brother and his son, your grandfather, were supporters _of_ that Dark Lord. I _know_ what is at stake. This Riddle is not as well-organized on a large scale as Grindelwald was, nor has he a convenient Muggle ally as Hitler was, through his underling Himmler, nor has he as many bodies to throw around as cannon fodder; but he seems to be personally at least as bad if not worse. I do not intend to let someone like that get into power. I could not help the first time, because that was about the time of Robert's final illness; but I _am_ going to help now. I am not really fit for front-line combat, but I am not totally unfit, either. I don't need protection, any more than you do, and even you will admit that having two Potions experts of our level helps the Order."

Snape sank back into his chair and sighed. Now was the time to surrender gracefully; between Dumbledore and this determined Witch, he was outnumbered. And Dumbledore was right about one thing: this _did_ solve their problem of hiring another Potions professor; he was still smarting a little at the last prospect that sneered at him for being a teacher instead of a researcher. Madam Dumarest at least didn't have _that_ bias. "Very well," he said. "At least you are intelligent enough that we can work together without my explaining every little detail. I think it would be best if you were to mentor the researchers; this way, I can concentrate on the students in the class, as I know them. But Father will find out sooner or later. While he despises me for taking the Mark, and thereby becoming a bond-slave, he is still a supporter of Riddle, less because of the Pureblood issue than the fact Riddle is the chief Dark Wizard now alive in Britain."

"I thought as much," Madam Dumarest replied. "Your grandfather was snobbish and proud, and hated the Ministry for being too restrictive. I've never met your father, but given what few articles of his I've read, I suspect that he is much the same. So long as I do not try to claim any of the estate, he is probably willing to let me alone."

Snape nodded. "And as this is the first time we have met, he will not suspect any working kinship between us for a while. Very well—I will have to tell the Dark Lord about you, but I think I have an idea for how to do so with a minimum of trouble."

He rose, and held out his hand. "If you are to work here, then I should show you around; you will want to select a work area and storage space of your own, as well as take whatever quarters Albus has assigned you."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "I don't think that there will be any trouble with that; the reputation of Hogwarts is still as high as it was in Albus' and my day as students."

"And thank you both," Dumbledore put in, with a smile. "Things cannot but be better, now that I have two of you instead of one to share the load."

Snape glared at the Headmaster. "Albus, I would truly appreciate you giving me more warning _next_ time you decide to spring such a shock on me. I _do_ have my limitations, and with everything that happened _last_ week, I have nearly reached them already!"

Dumbledore spread out his hands in a what-can-I-do gesture. "Tell me what I _should _have done, then, when I received Tish's letter to meet, and she came to us offering help. I know that you are cynical and suspicious; that has kept you alive. But do remember that we are working under some time constraints as well. And this is not like the fiascoes we have had of hiring Defense Professors; had she not been worthy, Fawkes would not have approved her. This only happened just this morning, and I was at least as surprised as you were."

"Then maybe you should get Fawkes to approve _all_ your hires," Snape retorted. "That might have saved us from at least four of your last five hires in that post. Lupin is a Dark Creature, but he is at least a Light-biased Wizard in his human state."

Dumbledore considered the idea. "That might not be such a bad idea, Severus," he mused. "But later for that. Do give Tish the five-Sickle tour, and have her choose either dungeon quarters or rooms in the Faculty Wing."

"I think Faculty Wing, near Ravenclaw, would be better," Madam Dumarest said diplomatically. "I understand that the dungeon level is almost exclusively Slytherin territory, and I would not care to intrude. There should be enough unused rooms to set up my laboratory, and also another discreet one."

"There are, and you shall," Dumbledore agreed. He rose. "Off with you two, and let me know what additional supplies we will need to lay in." The two Potions Professors left him to his thoughts.


	6. More Meetings

Disclaimers: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me. Antonia Dumarest _is_ mine, as are the assorted Snape and Dumarest relatives, and may be used with permission; e-mail me.

Spoilers: All five HP novels.

MORE MEETINGS (Arrivals & Meetings, X-XIV) 

X. The Longbottoms (Friday morning, 12 July)

Albus Dumbledore tossed some Floo Powder into his fireplace. "Honoria Longbottom," he said. After a moment, the Longbottom matriarch appeared.

"To what do I owe this call, Headmaster?"

"I wish to discuss some matters of mutual interest, and I would prefer that we do it in person," Dumbledore replied. "Would you care to come here, or may I visit you?"

"Come ahead, Professor," Madam Longbottom replied. "I do have a good new blend of tea."

Some minutes later found the two sitting in the Longbottom parlor, sipping tea. After a few more minutes of small talk, Dumbledore decided to get to the point.

"Madam Longbottom, I would like to invite you to join the Order of the Phoenix," he said quietly.

"What do I have to offer you? I am neither a fighter nor a nurse, and my major eligibility is that I will never give in to Him."

"I need more: I need researchers, and older people to teach Wizarding customs and law to the younger people who aren't as well-versed as they should be. I want to research Wizarding law as to what is or is not still legal. I do intend to offer such a course to complement Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, and I would also like you to help me find a teacher." He leaned back into his chair. "Also, I am forming a Junior Order, for those who are underage but already involved. If Fawkes approves him, I intend to invite Neville to join this."

Madam Longbottom was impassive. "What would they be doing?"

"Research, training, and other support activities, so as to free up the adults for active duty. We do not have enough members and the War is not going away."

A few moments of silence passed, while Madam Longbottom thought things over. "Headmaster, I will consider this _if_ you will tell me, and allow Neville to tell me, the full truth about what happened this last month in the Ministry, and more of the truth about that Ministry Professor."

"I will," Dumbledore replied. "Is Neville here? It would be best if we both told it. Rest assured that Neville is not only not in trouble, but he acquitted himself with honor and courage, despite having Frank's wand broken."

Neville was summoned, and the next hour was spent recapping the entire battle in the Ministry, with a brief overview of the depredations of the erstwhile Professor Umbridge. When the two were done, Madam Longbottom shook her head sadly.

"So, Sirius was innocent all this time, and the Minister was an idiot?" she asked.

"Indeed, that is the case, " Dumbledore replied sadly. "The War is here, whether he will or no; we _must_ gather all our resources to prepare, or else it will be the First War all over again. No one and nothing will be considered useless, too old, or too young; I will find something for everyone. Then there is this: now that there has been a pitched battle, those who dared to oppose the Death Eaters are in more danger than before—as if they were not already. The one Death Eater of those who were there who _did_ escape, unfortunately, _was_ Bellatrix, although she had to be rescued by her Master. Neville was already a target; he will be more of one."

"Then the only honorable thing to do _is_ to join the Order, and allow Neville to join the Junior Order," Madam Longbottom replied. "I will not stand by while the torturer of my son and his wife walks free—the more so since she has now hurt my grandson. I am old, and not really fit for combat, but whatever else I can do I will."

"And I will join the Junior Order, as soon I can," Neville said. "Also, I think we should at least continue the DA at school. I owe that much to Harry: what we learned from him kept us all alive there."

"Then I have another offer for you, Neville," Dumbledore said. "I intend to have some students at Hogwarts this summer, ostensibly doing summer remedial courses. This will be true in part: however, they will also being doing research on topics of both extra-credit value, and of interest to the Order. Having this done at Hogwarts will also ensure their safety as much as we can."

"Of course I will," Neville replied immediately. "Whatever I can do, I will."

Dumbledore smiled; the twinkle was back in his eyes. "Indeed? Then will you be willing to take the summer Potions review course, to bring up your grade for Professor Snape's Advanced Potions class? He is willing to take all those who received an 'E' on their OWL into the summer class; if they perform well, then he will allow them into the NEWT preparatory class."

Neville gulped. "Who is teaching the summer course?"

"Professor Snape is, or the supply Potions professor that we will be using in the fall."

"Is there a reason that you need another professor, Headmaster?" asked Madam Longbottom.

"I have someone new for the lower four forms," Dumbledore replied, "so that Severus may take, instead, the three upper-level Defense sections. He will still have the three highest-level Potions classes, as the older students are at least used to him. I have hired an old friend of mine, Antonia Dumarest; she is not only as competent as he, but is one of the owners of the Dumarest Apothecaries, and can get us supplies."

Neville paled. The prospect of having not one, but two classes with the Professor he feared above all others was daunting. "How will I survive one class with him, let alone two?" he thought to himself, and then blushed as he realized that he had spoken aloud, and in front of the Headmaster and his Grandmother no less.

"As you always have: with true Gryffindor courage," Dumbledore said gently, before Madam Longbottom could speak. "I also know that Professor Snape will be a bit more…understanding, if you will, if he does not have to keep up a role. The two of you need to learn to work together; he can teach you far more than just Potions, if you will let him. He truly does _not_ hate you, nor does he hate Mr. Potter; some of what he does is partly his own impatience with those less skilled than he, and partly because he must play a role to please certain factions. The stakes are somewhat higher than you think."

"But I am so clumsy in his class—and that is even not counting Malfoy and his friends sabotaging potions. If you could find a way to keep them out, it wouldn't be so bad."

"Well, Mr. Malfoy will not be in the summer class, as he earned his O in Potions," Dumbledore replied. "I am hoping that we can keep his friends out, although if we allow them into the summer class, they may still not qualify for the NEWT class. You are doing much better, truly, and with your own wand rather than your father's I expect even more improvement. I know that you need the Potions NEWT to become a Master Herbologist; you earned an E on the OWL despite everything, so I know that you can do well in the summer class. Besides, every student brew that is well-made in the summer class will be put away for use; the course emphasis will be on Healing potions and other useful brews for Hogwarts use—such as fertilizers and nutrients." Dumbledore smiled at Neville. "Professor Snape actually makes most of Professor Sprout's fertilizer and nutrient potions; I think that it would be useful for you to learn them as well, so that Professor Snape can concentrate on truly advanced brews; this would also help you in the future. Can I count on you to help?"

Neville was shaken, both in fear of the Head of Slytherin and in surprise at the Headmaster's faith in him. "Do you really think that I can?"

"I do, otherwise I would not have asked," Dumbledore replied calmly. "There is more to you than even you can see, and I expect to see it come out more fully this year."

Neville suddenly realized what was missing. "You said that Professor Snape is taking the top three years of Potions and Defense?" At Dumbledore's nod, he continued. "And you are getting someone else for the lower forms for Potions. That leaves the lower Defense forms; who is getting those?"

Dumbledore smiled again. "Very good; you noticed. I am hiring Remus Lupin again. Despite his lycanthropy, he is the best Defense teacher you have had all the time you have been here. He will be able to teach the younger ones without scaring them; you older ones are used to Professor Snape's temper and can learn from him."

"I think I'd rather have Professor Lupin," Neville admitted.

"Ah—but you are not eligible for the one upper-level course he _is_ teaching. You did, in fact, score an O on your Defense OWL, so you qualify for the Advanced Defense, not the 'Remedial Practical'. That is for those of you who did _not_ practice defensive spells outside of class, as obviously you did."

Madam Longbottom leaned forward. "Do you mean that the Defense Club made that much of a difference in the OWL grades?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore assured her. "Everyone who was a member of either my 'Army' or the Slytherin Serpent's Fangs club scored E's and O's on their Practical OWL or NEWT, or did well on the other levels' finals. They made a considerable difference."

"But more than that: the training Harry and Hermione gave us was what made the difference in the Ministry," Neville pointed out quietly. "We could _not_ let Harry go alone, and this is what we had trained for—defending against Death Eaters. Had we not had the training, we would have had to either leave him to go with just Ron and Hermione, or all been wiped out in the first five minutes."

"This is the third reason I would like to see you at Hogwarts this summer: your own protection. As I said, you were already a target, and you will be more of one. We will protect you, and in return, you will help us. There will also be summer DA, if we have enough students; Harry and Hermione will both be there."

XI: The Order of the Phoenix (Friday, 12 July 1996, evening)

"Thank you all for coming tonight," Dumbledore told the full Order at the meeting that Friday night.

"I would first like to introduce our newest members: first, I think at least some of you know Honoria Longbottom; she is Frank's mother and Neville's grandmother." After the polite applause, he then said, "And this is Antonia Dumarest, an old and dear school friend of mine, who has come out of retirement in the United States. And yes, that is the same Dumarest as the apothecary family; it was she and her husband Robert who owned the company at the time of their emigration from France to the United States, about 1934 or so." He indicated the tall Witch with long, iron-grey hair sitting next to him. "Tish? Care to say a word or so?"

"Actually, I volunteered; as Albus said, I'm retired from the business," Madam Dumarest said. "I've been keeping up with the news and I'm appalled at the idiocy of the Minister here. I remember Grindelwald; that is why we left France. I could not help the first time against Riddle, as Robert died about then; but I will not stand by _this_ time while Riddle tries to be a second Grindelwald. As I told Albus, I may be elderly, but I can still hold a wand and stir a cauldron. And even though I'm retired, I still _own_ enough of the business to guarantee a good price and a steady supply of Potions and ingredients for both the Order and Hogwarts. I'm a Potions Mistress, and I will also be teaching the lower levels at Hogwarts in the fall." All eyes turned toward the resident Potions Master.

"I will affirm her credentials," Severus Snape told them dryly. "She is too modest: she is a Potions Mistress of about two full grades _above_ me. As I told Albus, he could replace me with her at Hogwarts at a net _gain_ in competence, and I will say that about _very_ few living people; fewer yet would I trust _anywhere_ near Hogwarts. She will be teaching the lower four forms; I will have the upper three forms _and_ the upper three forms for Defense. Remus Lupin will have the lower four Defense forms." Murmurs arose at that; Snape's desire for the Defense post over the years was no secret, nor was his long-time feud with Remus Lupin, who was oddly quiet.

"And how did you convince the Minister to let Remus back in?" asked Molly Weasley.

"Simple, Molly: after Dolores Umbridge, I could have hired a security troll and had better teaching." There was no twinkle in his eyes, and his voice grew colder. "The _only_ thing that is saving Umbridge from an immediate prosecution for what she has done to the children under my watch is the fact she currently inhabits a secure ward at St. Mungo's. _If and when_ she recovers, she _will_ stand trial, and _I_ will prosecute it. I was deceived _once_: I _will not_ be again."

Dumbledore took a deep breath, and his tone moderated a bit. "After the fiasco with her, the Board of Governors agrees with me that Remus Lupin is far and away the best-qualified DADA candidate, so long as his special needs are met. With Tish teaching the lower forms in Potions, he and Severus will share the Defense classes; Severus will make the Wolfsbane Potion and cover for him at Full Moon times; Tish will cover Severus' classes at those times and when he is needed elsewhere on Order business. She can also make the Wolfsbane, if and when Severus cannot. With three Professors rather than two covering two hazardous classes, and all Order members, we will have more protection for the students, especially our most vulnerable ones. Tish went to Hogwarts, and was a Ravenclaw; she will not be as much of a problem for the Slytherins as yet another Gryffindor would be.

"Now, there are three other matters that I wish to bring up: first is that a memorial for Sirius Black is needed and overdue." There were murmurs of agreement all around. "Owing to the security needs, it will have to be held at Hogwarts; other than here, no other place is as secure. Any time within the next two weeks will be appropriate, and not disturb the rest of the staff. Let me know as soon as possible with any ideas for this; it should be done well before the end of this month, as there will be a summer Potions class, beginning the fifth of August, and I wish it to be before then. I would also prefer that it not be held too close to Harry's birthday on the thirty-first; that would be too painful for him.

"Second, I have good news: we may continue using this house. As some of you know already, Sirius' Will has been read, and Harry has inherited this house, with Remus as lifelong caretaker; I am trustee for Harry until he is of age next year. Sirius was clear that we could continue to use it for the Order; he was the last male Black of the direct line, and his specific disinheriting of Narcissa and Bellatrix and their relatives and heirs holds magically as well as legally. None of them can now access this house, or any other property of his. Should anything happen to both Harry and Remus, Nymphadora Tonks will inherit; she and her mother are the only Blacks Sirius acknowledged or left anything to."

"What about Sirius' legal status?" asked Sturgis Podmore. "Wasn't that going to be a problem with his estate, and with young Potter, that he was still on the run?"

"He has been officially exonerated," Kingsley Shacklebolt replied. "Albus finally convinced the Minister that if Potter was telling the truth about Riddle's return, then he was also telling the truth about Peter Pettigrew, and that Sirius was innocent. I have had official orders to abandon my search for him, and an official declaration of his demise." He smiled grimly. "As I was one of those who gave evidence that I _saw_ Sirius fall through the Veil at the hands of a known and convicted Death Eater, it was _almost_ a foregone conclusion anyway."

Dumbledore nodded, and continued. "Third, I also have a proposal that will help us greatly, and at the same time improve the safety of some of our most vulnerable young people. I will not say 'ensure'; there is no perfect safety. But this will be an answer to three problems: protection as I said, relief of the adults for active duty, and giving some of our talented young people a means to help us. I propose to form a junior Order, subject to the same oaths and bindings, but for those who are underage. They will not be sent on missions, nor be tasked with defenses; but they can do research and train for their adult roles. We have not so many of us that we can afford to waste the strengths and abilities of those who have already proved their worth." He waited for the reaction, which was not long in coming.

"Albus, this is absurd. Haven't you learned from last month? You are going to encourage them to get into more trouble!" Molly Weasley had been horrified at what had happened at the Ministry—but more so that it had been her youngest children and her only daughter involved.

"On the contrary, this will be more likely to keep them _out_ of critical trouble, and keep them too busy to get involved more than they should. Last month was a lesson in what happens when they act on inadequate information. It also showed us that our young people do _not_ lack either courage or resourcefulness; what they lack is _direction_."

"And where did you get_ this _idea?" Molly was unmoved.

"From a source that provided me with several useful ideas recently: Harry Potter," Dumbledore replied. Ignoring the murmuring that sprang up, he continued, "He wishes to take up his share of the War, even though he is not ready. One item he mentioned is true: those teens that went to the Ministry last month already know too much for their safety and ours; they were already targets and now they will be more so. The only thing that will save them is to train them and prepare them for the next encounter."

"But the Dark Lord's Inner Circle is now in Azkaban," protested Hestia Jones. "They are not now a danger."

"They are not _now_ a danger: but they will not _stay_ there," Snape put in. "Unless Fudge gets some sense, and quickly executes at least those already convicted, the Dark Lord _will_ break them out; it is a matter of _when,_ not _if. _I do not see Fudge getting any sense soon, as long as there is a profit to be made. In any case, Bellatrix Lestrange is still free, as is Peter Pettigrew, and other lower-ranking members. We have a little time to prepare, and we cannot afford to waste it. In this, I find myself actually agreeing with Mr. Potter: the _only_ thing that will save him and his friends from the next encounter—and there _will_ be one—is as much training as they can endure, and that as soon as possible. That there was only one fatality this time, and that not a student, was sheer good fortune; we cannot depend on that again."

Molly Weasley stared at Snape in shock. "I cannot _believe_ what I am hearing! _You_ of all people are endorsing Albus' and Harry's crazy idea!" Snape returned her stare with a calm gaze of his own rather than his usual sneer; this was even more unnerving to her. What had gotten into the man?

Arthur Weasley took Molly's hand. "I know that you want to protect our children. But it's too late: they aren't children any more. As Albus said, they already know too much, and there are not enough of us to protect them all. It is as Albus said: the only thing that will save them is enough training to survive, and the Order is the best place for them to get it. If even Severus can see it, who is normally utterly opposed to _anything_ involving the students, and still more opposed to anything to do with Harry, then we can do no less than support them. Remember what they did, all on their own without help—Dumbledore's Army; think of what more they could do _with_ the Order's support."

Molly pleaded her case to the one person she was certain that would support her. "Alastor, surely _you_ see this is crazy!"

The old Auror shook his head. "No, it isn't. This is indeed Harry Potter's idea, made after last month, and I applaud him for seeing his duty and being willing to take it up. I agree that neither he nor the other students are ready for all-out war, but the more they can defend themselves the less we will have to protect them; there just aren't enough of us to do that and everything else too. I, for one, am all for a junior Order and will be willing to teach them. If it is indeed subject to the bindings and oaths of the Order, then Fawkes will have to approve them anyway, and we will have more authority over them while they are in training or while they are working for us." He smiled. "It's my call, and Remus', anyway, as far as Harry goes; we are now his new guardians." _That_ drew even more murmurs; only the Weasleys, Lupin, Snape, Tonks and Dumbledore knew all about Harry's current situation.

Molly was heartbroken. She knew that the youngest children would be involved in the war as soon as they came of age, but that was still two or three years away. "Albus, is there no other way?" she pleaded.

"Short of shipping them off to a distant land, no," Dumbledore replied quietly. "There is no truly safe place for them any more. All that we can do is keep them busy with tasks useful to us, and in a reasonably safe location. All six of those who went to the Ministry, and some others, will be going to summer school at Hogwarts; several of them will be doing research into matters pertaining to my own summer project: making Hogwarts in fact as well as in legend the safest place in the Wizarding world."

"Summer school?" Molly was curious.

"Yes; I have some independent study projects planned that will be just the thing to keep the students busy and productive. This way, they are far less likely to get frustrated and strike out on their own, with inadequate information." Dumbledore smiled. "And one part of it I think you will approve: Fred and George will be studying to take their NEWTs at a special sitting this fall. They more than qualify, in my estimation; all they need is the formal testing. If anything, Filius would give them one right now just on the strength of that swamp they left in the corridor."

"And how will that benefit the Order?" Molly knew the Headmaster very well; he never had only one reason for anything he did.

"Outside of myself, Remus Lupin and Argus Filch, those two know the castle better than anyone alive," Dumbledore replied with a smile; it was returned by innocent looks from the twins. "One of my plans is to do a full mapping of the castle with an eye to plugging security leaks; they know most of those leaks already. The other is to give them a secure place for Order research."

"But Ron isn't a good researcher," Molly threw out her last argument. "And Ginny's too young."

"He can improve, and she is not," Dumbledore refuted gently. "If he has a reason to be interested, he can do things that he might not do otherwise. He is also a quite good strategist; I intend to hone those skills for something more than chess and Quidditch. And Ginny's age belies both her intelligence and her courage: of all of those students, other than Harry she has the most first-hand experience with Tom; I intend to make use of it."

Molly's head went down at the reminder of her daughter's first Hogwarts year. "If you must, Albus," she sighed sadly. "I know that you probably have more reasons that you're not telling us, but I can't think of any more counter-arguments." She raised her head again, and looked around. "And if you have both Severus _and_ Alastor on your side, I'm outvoted before I even start."

Dumbledore smiled kindly at Molly. "I know you only want the best for your children. Believe me, so do I. This will keep them busy, productive, and learning, _and_ satisfy in part their desire to help the cause, _and_ keep them in one of the safer places they can be." He looked up at the other Order members. "Are there any other comments, or objections?"

There were none. When the vote was taken, it was unanimous in favor of creating the junior Order, with only Molly abstaining.

XII. The Grangers (Saturday, 13 July, morning)

Hermione Granger was quite excited. "The Headmaster is coming for a chat today!" she told her parents.

"Could it be anything to do with your OWL scores?" Dan Granger, her father, was intrigued.

"I don't see how—those aren't due for at least another week, and the Headmaster doesn't usually get involved. Those come from the Examining Authority in the Ministry."

"Will he be able to—you know—be discreet?" Emily Granger asked.

"Well, he _does_ have rather flamboyant taste in clothes—but he says he'll come directly in via his Phoenix. No one will see him if he doesn't want to be seen. He wants to talk to all of us, not just me."

"Then it must have to do with whatever went on at that Ministry of yours," Dan Granger concluded. "I don't think you've told us everything about that."

Hermione hung her head a little. "I _can't_; some of it is secret, or not mine to tell. Maybe the Headmaster can allow some of it."

"I hope so," her mother said. "There is too much going on in your world that we don't understand. I don't want to have to take you out of school, when you are doing so well!"

"I don't intend to go," Hermione said firmly. "I need to be there!"

"But how badly do _they_ need _you_?" her father asked with concern. "So badly, that just being the best is risking your life? That calling it 'cutthroat politics' in your world is not far from the actual truth?"

"Don't get us wrong, love," Emily assured Hermione. "We are truly proud of your accomplishments, even if we don't understand all of them. But we would really prefer a live daughter!"

"So would I, Mum," Hermione replied. "I know that the Headmaster will have some idea about how to handle things; he _is_ the greatest Light Wizard alive."

When Albus Dumbledore arrived, it was indeed in a flash of flame and holding the tail of his phoenix, Fawkes. The elder Grangers had never seen such a creature before, even in Diagon Alley; they were so impressed when the beautiful bird allowed them to pet him, they didn't even notice that Dumbledore had conjured up a stand for him until after Fawkes had perched there. Dumbledore himself was dressed much as he had been at the Dursleys', for his conversation with D.C. Markham: Muggle casual suit, no tie, beard shorter and neater, and hair in a braid down his back. Hermione strongly suspected either Glamour Charms, or Transfigured robes.

"Good afternoon," he said politely, with a warm smile. The Grangers both shook hands with him, and then they all went into the kitchen to have some tea.

After some small talk, Dumbledore addressed the reason for his visit. "I am here to offer Miss Granger some advanced work over the summer. It would involve mainly research, but there might be some practical work, too, especially in Potions. There will be a summer class for those whose grades did not _quite_ qualify them for the Advanced Potions class; while your daughter's grade in Potions was Outstanding, and she does not need this course, I would like her available for possible tutoring for the other students." He turned to Hermione. "You may be interested to know that Professor McGonagall specifically asked for you for her and Professor Flitwick's research project on Hogwarts charms, and Professor Snape did so for a Potions project I have assigned to him."

"They _did_?" Hermione was surprised. "Isn't that unusual?"

The Headmaster's smile faded. "As I have said to several people this week: these are not normal times, and the normal procedures will no longer serve us. My staff is too small for all I need them to do this summer, over and above what they must do to prepare for next term. While I am hiring additional staff, they will not be enough; I also wish to have student help. You are the best researcher in your year, possibly in the entire school; I would like your help. Are you willing?"

The smile returned a little, as did the twinkle in the eyes. "Consider: you would have free run of the library, and perhaps be able to do outside research in, say, the Black Library."

"Of course I am willing," Hermione said eagerly. "It will look good on my records, all this extra-credit work. When would we begin?"

All three adults chuckled. The Grangers were used to Hermione's love of learning.

"You said the magic words, no pun intended: Library access," Dan Granger said, shaking his head ruefully. "She really loves that Library of yours." His own smile faded. "Headmaster, I'll get to the point: I'm minded to allow this _if_ you tell us more about what is going on in your world. Hermione was adamant that some of it is secret, but as her parents we need to have an idea of what our daughter is facing."

"I will explain as best as I can," Dumbledore replied. For the next hour, he and Hermione related the events of the previous month and some of the previous school year to the shocked Grangers, leaving out only certain secret details, such as the Order. When he was done, both Granger adults were upset—and not just for their daughter.

"That horrible woman—how did she _ever_ convince the Ministry that she was fit to teach in a school with young children?" Emily Granger was incensed at the depredations of Dolores Umbridge. "And is there a way that will prevent her from ever doing it again?"

"At this time, she resides in a secure ward at St. Mungo's," Dumbledore replied grimly. "Be sure that if and when she recovers enough to stand trial, there _will_ be one. I have explained to the Minister in great detail that _my_ first obligation as Headmaster is the welfare and safety of the children, and his handpicked appointee did nothing but violate that; I will not accept anything of that nature ever again."

He took a deep breath, and his voice grew milder. "The best and most honorable Professor that we have had in the Defense post for the last five years is a Werewolf, who is rendered harmless by the Wolfsbane Potion; I am rehiring him for the lower four forms, and having my Potions Master take the upper levels. He is also a Defense Master and an expert dueler; he is wasted on beginners' lessons when he is needed for complex specialty potions, such as the project he wishes Miss Granger's assistance with."

"Oh, Ron isn't going to like that at all," Hermione pointed out. "And how will Harry take it? If he does well in the summer class, that will be two classes with Professor Snape this fall, and he had barely patience for one!"

"Do not be overly concerned," Dumbledore replied soothingly. "There is one other matter which may do something about both Mr. Weasley's and Mr. Potter's problems. I intend to form a summer DA, for those of you underage but with something to contribute to the effort; what you would be doing at Hogwarts will have three purposes. One, it will give us valuable information that is needed, without tying up an adult Professor. Two, it will give _you_ the protection of Hogwarts over this summer: you are a target, and your proximity to Mr. Potter is only one factor. Three, you will continue advanced training so that you may be prepared for whatever comes. Professor Snape will be handling some of that training, and this will, I hope, make it easier for some people to deal with him."

"Of course I'll join," Hermione said immediately. "When do we go?"

Dan Granger chuckled. "I'm devastated—thrown over for a pile of books!" he said, with a melodramatic clutch of his chest. Both his wife and daughter giggled, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Honestly, Dad, it's for the best," Hermione said when the giggles had died down. "This situation won't go away, even if we leave the country. Harry needs me, and so does Ron. I can't _not_ help; I'm a Witch, and for the sake of our world I have to go."

"Then that is settled," Dumbledore said, as he rose to his feet. "Miss Granger, I suggest you begin packing; I will arrange secure transport, and that may be as early as tomorrow."

XIII. The Weasleys, Part 1

(Saturday, 13 July 1996, afternoon)

"Mum! Professor Dumbledore's here!" Ron Weasley called into the kitchen of the Burrow.

"Well, don't just stand there, Ron, bring him in for dessert!" Molly Weasley bustled over to greet the Headmaster. "Albus, I _do_ hope you have time for some fresh berry pie!"

"If you have a slice to spare for me, I will certainly do justice to it," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Your pies are worthy of the Hogwarts tables—not that I'd tell our House Elves that." He was promptly seated at the kitchen table with a generous slice set before him.

After the pie had been properly appreciated, Dumbledore asked to move the talk to the living room. "I need both of you, as well as Ron, Ginny and the twins if they're here," he told the elder Weasleys. When all were seated, including the twins, he cast Silencing and locking charms on the room.

"I have several points to get to. First of all, I have approved the return of Messrs. Fred and George to Hogwarts for a summer refresher course, culminating in their NEWT examinations at a special sitting at the end of August. As they were only six weeks before NEWTs when they left, this should not be too difficult. I also intend to set aside research space for them for Order work; this is so that their shop will not be compromised. Hogwarts has a great deal of unused space; it is time it was put to use."

He took a deep breath, and continued. "I _will_ ask you to participate in Professor Snape's summer Potions class; this is partly for credit, and partly to give Harry Potter two more adult bodyguards. I do not yet know who else will be in the summer class; everyone who achieved an E on their OWL has been invited. Performance in this class will help select for Professor Snape's Advanced class, which only has nine students. This is not enough students to make a full class, but letting in all the E-grade achievers would make too large a class; I wish him to have only one section instead of the usual two."

"So Harry didn't get the O grade?" Ron asked. "I'll bet Hermione did."

"He didn't, and she did," Dumbledore replied. "Professor Snape has agreed to take into his fall class everyone who performs well in the summer class. That includes you, Ron."

"Summer with Professor Snape?" Ron gulped.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Indeed, but that is not all. Several summer programs are planned. What would you say to a special seminar on aerial combat from broomsticks, led by Professor Flitwick?"

Ron's eyes opened wide. "I'd grab that right away!"

"So would I!" Ginny echoed.

"Ginny! You're too young!" scolded Molly Weasley.

"Nonsense, Molly," Dumbledore replied gently. "Her flying skills are good and so are her combat skills. This will not be age-limited. All three of you boys will also be invited."

"And have you managed to do something about that ridiculous ban on Harry and us?" George asked. "Seems that if you have four Weasleys and Harry, we ought to get in some Quidditch for practice in maneuvers!"

Dumbledore smiled. "I have managed to get _all_ of those ridiculous Ministry Directives nullified. I believe in a reasonable balance of study and relaxation, after all." His face grew more serious. "However, there is another reason I am inviting the four of you to Hogwarts this summer. Fred and George, you are both in the Order; as I said, I intend to give you research space. You can still commute to your shop as needed, and with the Black inheritance, you can afford to hire more help. Ron and Ginny, the events of last month have placed you in even more peril than you were already in; I intend to form a junior Order, for those of you underage but with something to offer us. Fred and George will also be working with the juniors to bring their skills up to speed. This has already been approved by the full adult Order, but I asked them to keep it secret until I spoke of it. You two are invited to join." He looked at Ron. "I'm told that you're quite the strategist and tactician; I have need of more of those." He then turned to Ginny. "You have insights into our enemy unmatched by any except Harry and Professor Snape; I intend to make use of them. I have also been told about your Bat-Bogey hex; I'd like you to teach it to others. There will be a summer DA as well, if there are enough students there; this will be apart from the Order."

It was Ginny who noticed something. "Mum, you're too quiet. Aren't you upset by this?"

"Yes, I am, dear," Molly replied sadly. "But we already argued this out in Friday's Order meeting. I will concur, if only to give you four the safety of Hogwarts."

"And I already agreed that it was a good idea," Arthur Weasley added. "We can't protect everyone; you kids will have to help protect yourselves."

"What about Luna? And Neville?" asked Ginny. "Aren't they in at least as much danger?"

"I have already asked Mr. Longbottom; he has agreed, and will also enter the summer Potions class. His grandmother has also joined the Order. When the Lovegoods return from their holiday in Sweden, I will also ask them; Luna can help with research, and write articles if need be for her father's paper; I intend to ask Mr. Lovegood to join if he wishes. Mr. Potter is already at Hogwarts; I will ask you to keep _that_ fact quiet. In fact, the idea _for_ a Junior Order is his, and I thought it a good one; he will be a member. Miss Granger will be as well; she does not need the summer Potions class, but she is requested for some research projects some of the staff have in mind, for which they do not have the time."

Ron grinned a bit. "That's our Hermione; offer her a chance to go to the Library and she'll agree to almost anything."

Dumbledore returned the grin with a smile of his own. "She is not the only one to be offered a summer research task. I intend to have Mr. Potter open the Chamber of Secrets for us, so that we may investigate it further for possible hazards and secret entrances. Owing to its size and access, flying would be helpful."

Ginny blanched. "Are you that worried?" The Chamber was among her worst memories.

"Not _worried_, per se, but merely being _careful_, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore replied calmly. "_My _summer project is to secure Hogwarts itself. I intend to do a thorough mapping and census of the entire castle, so that it is as safe in fact as it is in legend. Secret escape routes are useless if your enemy knows of them, and an invasion cannot be ruled out." He turned to the twins. "That is the fourth reason I wish you two at Hogwarts this summer, besides your NEWT revision, guarding Harry, and your Order work: you have the most extensive knowledge of the castle of anyone alive except Argus Filch, Remus Lupin, and myself; we need that knowledge now."

Fred turned to George and a look passed between them. "Of course we will. Hogwarts has given us a great deal—" Fred began.

"And the least we can do is everything we can to keep the school out of the Dark Lord's hands," George finished.

"Then that is settled," Dumbledore replied. "I will owl you with the date to report to Hogwarts, which may be as early as tomorrow; and we shall see about secure transport."

"One more thing, Professor," Ron put in. "Why is Harry at Hogwarts, and how is he doing? He said in his last note that he wasn't at the Dursleys' any more, but he wouldn't say where he _was_. And he hasn't said anything at all about either this last month or this summer."

Dumbledore's smile faded. "All of this will be explained when we are all at the school. I will only say that he is there for safekeeping. He is still being careful of his mail, despite the secure cutouts we are using. Now is when he will need his friends more than ever; he will be doing advanced training of his own, in part to keep him ahead of the DA, and in part for reasons we will discuss after the Junior Order is formed. He knows now that he cannot and should not push away his friends; please show him your support." He rose. "Arthur and Molly, please stay behind; I need a word with you two alone."

XIV. The Weasleys, Part 2 (Arthur and Molly)

When the younger Weasleys left, Dumbledore cast Imperturbable Charms as well as a Locking Charm. "There—that should keep out those excellent Extendable Ears. Now, I wish to discuss something with the two of you that I could not mention at the will reading, the Order meeting nor in front of the students yet, and that is Harry."

"How is he, really?" asked Molly anxiously. "He was so pale and quiet at the will reading, but that must have been an ordeal in and of itself."

"Recovering from a previous ordeal involving the Muggle police, his cousin, and the Dursleys' neighbors," Dumbledore replied quietly. "Last Friday, he wrote to me and to Professor Snape, making several requests and suggestions; the Junior Order was only one of them." He proceeded to tell them everything that had happened that weekend, leaving out only some details from the letters, and the details of some of the conversations with Snape. When he was finished, there was a long silence, broken by Arthur.

"So Dursley _was_ minding our warning, but only just?" he asked.

"That is so. Without the other events of that day, I doubt that things would have gotten worse, but they certainly would not have improved any. But the incident with the Muggle police has blown the Dursleys' tissue of lies to bits; they are now exposed to their neighbors, which was the very last thing they wanted. When they returned from the station house, we feared that they would take it out on Harry, and then he _would_ have blown up, with possibly tragic consequences. The Muggle officer warned me—he was quite perceptive and intelligent for a Muggle—Severus did, and Harry did himself; so we three adults took preemptive action instead." He smiled. "You should have seen Severus giving them the full classroom treatment; it was truly scary. I am more glad than ever that not only is he on our side, but he is now on Harry's side."

Molly shook her head. "That poor boy. It just never seems to end for him, does it?" Another thought struck her. "Albus, you said that the waiver was for a _temporary_ guardianship. Is _this_ what you meant by what you said at the will reading? Is he really going to Alastor and Remus?"

"Yes, he is; Harry had already consented two days before. And before you ask: I cannot keep him for obvious reasons; you two cannot, as that will make you even more of a target, although Harry needs you to stay in his life; and Remus cannot alone, although Sirius wished him to, without a non-werewolf as a co-guardian. While Harry now owns the Black House, and can live there, he is still a minor until the end of July, next year."

"So, why did you select Alastor?" Arthur asked.

"Simple: who else in the Order—I will not accept anyone outside it—has the experience to not only train Harry, but to understand what he is facing?"

Arthur nodded. "Makes sense to me; he'll guard Harry with his life and make sure he's trained _and_ is one of the few people Harry will trust to keep him out of trouble."

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied. "He also knows his main shortcoming, and will allow you and Molly to give Harry the family love he so badly needs." He sighed sadly. "Losing Sirius now could not have come at a worse time; however, as I said to Minerva, it has not driven him deeper into depression, as I feared, but crystallized his resolve, as I had _hoped_ it would."

"What will you tell the children of Harry's situation?"

"The bare necessities; I will let him tell the details. I suggest, however, that you tell Ronald and Ginevra the rest of the story about the will reading, if you have not already; the sooner they realize that they are not poor any more, the better."


End file.
